Witchblade in the Darkness
by Mrotrax
Summary: Masane is not alone in her battles: Joined by the newest user of the Darkness, his loyal allies and those who have seen the Witchblade in action before and know its history, she will change her fate and protect her family. But new sides join the conflict, some mortal and some beyond. Combines aspects of the anime and comics. Read and review, would ye kindly?
1. Getting Started

If I owned these franchises, would I be writing this? Yes, but I'd be making a profit. This is a fan-based fiction.

 **Chapter 1: Getting Settled**

They were so different and yet so different.

She was always alone and hated being away from the group. She never knew her parents or family, but held those values as the most important in the world.

He had loved ones, but most of them never seemed to live long enough for him to truly treasure them. He only knew half of his family.

She couldn't remember why she had been at the epicenter of the great quake.

He tried to forget why he was there.

Some might say they were made for each other. Others would claim they were like sick peas in a pod; two souls missing something that was filled with a great power that came at an even greater

But there was one thing that definitely stood out. One singe detail that separated them beyond another:

He loved the dark, whereas most feared or hated it. Whenever the lights went out, he felt powerful and safe. Even as a child, it was like a blanket and shield to him.

WBiD

"WAKE UP, MASANE!"

A young brunette found herself being forced awoken by the shouts of a little girl with black hair in a blue and pink dress.

"Come on, Riko…" She whined as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "I was getting comfy…"

"Well, you did tell me to wake you up, and look."

She pointed to a small island, which housed a massive communications spire. The whole area was littered with such islands, remains of what had been formerly known as Toyo before the Great Quake six years ago.

"Six years ago there weren't any islands." Masane reminisced. "Just buildings, cars and a bridge or two."

"And this is where you and daddy met?" Riko asked in curiosity, despite knowing the answer.

"Yep." Masane confirmed, inwardly adding _'only good thing that happened that horrible day.'_ To distract herself, she took a look. "Wonder if we can see any houses?"

"Mom, be careful." Riko begged in vain when her mother saw several floating rubber duckies, including one that was lagging behind. Masane tried to reunite him by splashing the water, only to nearly fall in, if her daughter had not to just barley pull her back onto deck.

"Seriously mom." Riko sighed, clearly used to this. "This is why daddy suggested a plane."

Masane sighed and went to dry her hair while her vest dried.

"What does it matter in a duck gets lost?" The captain of their shuttle boat asked.

"Just a little thing that always bugged me." Masane explained. "I never could stand being alone. You know, a little thing that bothers you?"

"The only thing that bothers me is if you're sure you're the mother?" The captain joked. "I mean, look at your kid; she's got my dog eatimg out of her hand."

"She's all I can be proud of." Masane smiled knowingly

The captain then noticed a glimmer on Masane's finger

"Is that a college or wedding ring?" He asked

"Wedding." Masane smiled as she admired the only bit of jewelry she wore. "Guess I can have two things to be proud of. My husband had to go on ahead of us."

WBiD

"Please no..!"

A man choked under a sink filled with water as another's forehead was introduced to a bullet. Without missing a beat, the attacker slammed his elbow into another man's nose before kicking his throat and then sending him to the ground. He then twisted the partially submerged hand and let the now lifeless body fall to the floor.

Shaking some of the water off his damp arm, he continued on his way.

WBiD

"Just some business." Masane mused, chuckling as Riko got the dog to follow her finger. "He's probably wrapping up a meeting as we speak."

WBiD

Silenced bullets took out the guards as the killer made his way down the hall, the furthest room his target. Anyone who peeked out of their doors retreated back in after getting a knife in their door or when the lights suddenly were suddenly extinguished and the killer's presence seemed to grow.

His eyes were emotionless and his face was in a growling frown, his steps showing his anger.

Finally coming to his target, the killer turned the knob and was greeted by a click to the forehead. With a bored look on his face, he looked forward: The room was filled with gun, sword and knife wielding thugs, all surrounding a short man in a suit with shades.

"So, Long sends his mutt to do his dirty work." He smirked. "Done good kid, give ya that. Killed some of my best. But Long and your's time is up. Time for a fresh leader."

The assassin's brow furrowed.

"What a loyal dog you are! Defending your master until the very end! Shame about that little hottie of a wife and kid of yours…Oh well, we'll pick up the pieces of their broken hearts. Any last words?" The smug man grinned.

The assassin simply let out a sigh, smiled sadly and rose a gloved hand, snapping his fingers.

Soon there was only darkness….and horror.

WBiD

"What's he do?" The captain asked, taking a quick break from watching Riko play with his dog.

Masane contemplated her answer.

"He calls himself a cleaner and preventer…" She thought aloud. "Honestly, he's never been completely upfront about it. Pays good, but the details are boring…"

WBiD

Screams filled the room as two serpentine creatures burst from where the assassin had been, throwing some in the group into the roof or ground while dragging others into the greatest depths of the darkness.

A giant, draconic hand splattered some who tried to escape as footsteps got closer and closer to the leader, who stole a sword and began swinging it wildly, but all he cut were the bodies of his men, who either tumbled into the blade's way or were pulled into it.

"W-what the hell are you?!"

The blade did nothing but vex his attacker, whose mouth suddenly reappeared to answer.

" _ **Darkness."**_

A clawed hand, almost like it were made of knives, then tore off the upper half of the man's face, and the creatures began to savour and lap up the blood as bullets littered throughout the room.

And throughout all of this, the assassin smiled.

WBiD

"Here we are." The captain announced. "A word of advice: Be careful, a lot of weird stuff has been happening around Tokyo recently."

"We will, don't worry." Masane assured him as she handed him a handkerchief. "Here. You seemed to be missing a flag, so put this up in it's place."

"…Thanks." The captain, taking the handkerchief nonetheless

"Come on baby, daddy'll be here soon." Masane called Riko over. The little girl gave the dog a rub goodbye before joining her mother on the deck.

"Hope you find your husband soon." The captain smiled as he watched mother and daughter disappear into the crowd.

WBiD

Now standing outside the building after seconds before being in a pool of blood, the assassin stepped from the wall and took out his cellphone as he began his trek out of the building,

"Done."

" _We're waiting outside."_ A female voice replied as the cocking of a gun could be heard. _"And don't worry, we took carry of the stragglers."_

" _B-b-but we better get the f-f-f-fuck ou-ou-out of there before the c-c-coppers show!"_ A nervous voice added. _"Y-Yang only delayed the s-stu-stupid alarms!"_

" _Hey, they actually got decent ones!"_ A young voice snapped.

" _It's okay, big bro…"_ A younger female voice followed. " _Those big bad alarms were nothing for you to sneeze at."_

A smile escaped the assassin as he began walking towards the curb, effortlessly removed some plastic that had been wrapped around his shoes. The plastic was splattered with blood and guts and were flung down the drainage without a glance.

"No need to tell me twice. Time on the arrival?"

" _Which one?"_ An overly happy male voice asked. _"Okashira or your Himes?"_

"…You know damn well which one I care more about right now." The assassin grumbled as he began pacing on the curb, looking around for something.

" _If everything moves like it usually does, they should be just arriving at the port by the time we get there."_

Another voice mused just as the assassin saw the car pull up.

"Perfect." He said as he crawled into the backseat, where he found five familiar faces waiting for him. "How do I look?"

"Looking good." The first female speaker, a young blonde in a business suit, noted as she slipped her gin back into her purse.

"No blood?" The assassin asked, checking his fingerless gloves and pants for anything.

"No blood." The final voice he'd heard on the phone noted; it was a teenage boy with red hair, who sat beside a blue haired girl the same age as him, dressed in a school uniform.

"Any good ones this time?" The blue haired girl asked.

The assassin shook his head as he searched through his pockets

"What did you guys say to the passers by this time?" He asked.

"Company food fight day." The boy replied. "And bo, we have not used that one before."

"Apachi, take us to the port." He ordered his drivers.

"Okie dokie, no problem!" The cheerful man at the front beamed as he performed a U-turn, starling everyone but his boss.

"Watch it!" The blonde shouted

"Sorry, Hachi."

The assassin chuckled as he finally found what he'd been looking for: a locket in the shape of a sword. Popping it open, he smiled fondly at the picture inside: A brunette woman and ravenette little girl.

His beloved wife and daughter by adoption. Aside from the people he shared this car with, they were the only good things in his life.

It had been three months since he last saw them. Three months of tracking, stalking and now, just minutes ago, killing his targets; people who had tried to enact a coup on his boss and did things that they weren't allowed to do.

Soon, he'd be able to feel them in his arms again. Soon, he could run his fingers through their hair and smell whatever shampoo they had been using since he'd left. He'd be able to catch up on his daughter's recipes and spend an evening with the one woman he had and would ever love enough to marry.

Unfortunately, traffic turned out to be a problem. By the time they got to the docks, the boat Masane and Riko had been on was long gone.

WBiD

They had searched over and under New Tokyo for a full day, coming up with nothing aside from a nightly stay at a café.

Tokyo Tower was a tourist spot and often used a checkpoint/ meetup point for those who got lost.

Honestly, it surprised the NSWF Child Welfare official it took them so long to consider it as a place that young Rihoko Amaha would run to after her mother had 'come to her senses' and 'graciously' given custody.

During her two hour interrogation/ negotiation, the young woman had been adamant about a husband coming to meet them, bit when no documents came up in the database, the fact went ignored. The fact that she had gone missing from her prison was not thought to be important; all that matter to the official to taking care of Rihoko Amaha and removing her from an unfit guardian and lifestyle.

"There you are!"

Rihoko stood near the entrance of the tower trying to move so that a crowd could see what was going on

"I know this isn't easy for you, but I assure you it's for your own good." The woman explained as marched closer to the girl. "Now come along and we'll…"

"No!" Riko shouted, taking out a cellphone, a present from her father before his business trip, and showed the woman a text. "My daddy will be here in a few minutes! Please, leave me alone…"

The woman sighed. Masane had even deluded her own daughter with that 'husband' story? The shame! She moved to take Riko away when…

"Is there a problem here?" A male voice cut in.

The speaker was young man with short greyish, almost pink like hair with green highlights. His hair was swept forward in loose spikes with a lock left long on the right side of his face, and his eyes were a narrow dark green, matching the lime tips of his locks. He was quite tall and slim in physique, and somewhere in his mid twenties.

For his attire, he wore a long black-colored trench coat, the belt of which was untied. Under it was a black vest over a green dress shirt and bolo tie, which is held by a brown and blue ribbon and a turquoise pendant. He also wore beige pants, dark brown shoes. Finally, fingerless black gloves adorned his hands.

"Daddy!" Rihoko beamed, racing past the officers.

"Sweetheart!" The man beamed in kind, crouching down and taking her into a hug and kissing her forehad. "Is that a new dress?"

Riko nodded, too happy to form words.

"Who are you?" The official asked, getting a wallet's ID photo in her face.

"As she said, I'm her father." He said, his voice tyring to find a balance between comforting for his daughter and forceful to this woman who had casued her distress. "The name's Estacado. Eddie Estacado. Or…can you not read"

"An American?" One of the cops asked, a little bit of a snooty tone obvious.

"No." Eddie growled back, making the man shirk back at the venom in his voice. "Born and raised Japanese. My mother just loved my father enough to give me an American name. And speaking of mothers…"

He then turned to his daughter

"Where's yours? And what happened?"

Before Riko could answer, the Child Welfare official spoke up.

"Sir, you need to provide proof of your supposed relation to this girl. Otherwise, I'll have you arrested for.."

She stopped when she saw the girl being placed on the ground and the very ari around this man turned dark.

"Listen here….I already submitted the marriage license and adoption papers to you people a full year ago." Eddie growled, placing himself in front of his daughter. "Along with my tax receipts, a letter of recommendation from my employer, and the school enrollment forms!"

"'You people?'" The woman asked, seemingly only focused on Eddie's distaste for her employer more than the paperwork.

"If anything, you should be giving ME something that proves you need to take Riko away from me and Masane for her own sake….as well as tell me where she is."

The lady stood her ground, quickly darting to her tablet and searching.

"You say you submitted those forms, but I can find nothing in the NSWF database to back your claim up. As for your wife, she gave us custody…"

YOINK!

A teenage boy had grabbed the tablet out of her hand and was now shoving it back in her face. On the screen were the documents that had been mentioned by Mr, Estacado.

"Then what do you call these?" He smirked. "I found them after a bit of debugging, but nothing someone in junior high can't figure out."

"I thought I told you to stay in the car, Yang." Eddie sighed at the boy. "Though I am grateful."

"No problem, boss!" The teen smiled before returning his attention to the official. "If these aren't enough, we have the same documentation in our car."

A very jittery looking man with mistmatched brown and red eyes, emerged from the car and handed the woman the documents.

"S-S-S-So?" He asked. "C-C-Concensus?'

….

It was at this moment that the official knew….she'd done fucked up. Nonetheless, she recomposed herself.

"Well…it seems there was a clerical error on our part." She mused. "I am sorry to have…"

"Where's Masane?" Eddie asked. "And don't give me anything but the truth."

The woman looked down at her feet.

"Last I recall…she was…in a…jail cell?"

Eddie's eyes turned sharp and he marched towards the woman. The officers around her reached for their weapons….only to be bewildered when Eddie smiled.

"You know? You remind me of the lady who ran my orphanage…And a Harry Potter character." Eddie smiled sweetly.

"Oh." The official mused, not expecting that. "Why thank…"

She was cut off when a firm hand encompassed her neck and she was risen off the ground. Through barley opened eyes, she saw the man in front of her glaring with such intensity she felt she could combust.

The officers would've drawn their weapons, but soon found themselves pinned to the ground by not only the boy who'd found the documents, but a girl with blue hair in a school uniform and a very tall man dressed as a chauffer.

"Nah uh uh!" The teenage girl shook her finger in a 'naughty' way before pointing Rihoko. "There are kids here!"

"I….HATED….those cows. Wenders! Yang! Ying! Apachi!" Eddie shouted

"Y-yeah, boss?" The jittery man asked, narrowly catching a hotel key-card.

"Please take Riko to the hotel, I'll be there shortly."

"You got it, boss-man." the young girl, Ying, smiled as she gave him a thumbs up.

"Daddy?" Riko asked, some fear in her voice.

Eddie's eyes softened and he dropped the woman to the ground before leaning down to his daughter's level. Tuning out the woman's outraged shouts, he hugged his daughter.

"I'll find mommy, don't worry." Eddie promised. "And you can trust these people, they're daddy's friends."

Riko returned her father's hug before turning in the direction of the car that had brought him to Tokyo Tower.

"C-careful, boss." Wenders asked

A blonde woman helped Riko into the car

"Hi there." She smiled. "I'm Hachi."

Eddie smiled as the car drove off, knowing his daughter would be safe. He then turned to the group in front of him.

"I'll only ask once." He announced. "Where's. My. Wife?"

No one said a word.

"I'm going to count to ten." Eddie explained. "If I don't hear something I like by ten, the front page tomorrow will be your corpses. One."

Nothing.

"Two."

"We don't have to tell you anything." One of the officers said. "After all, you and the woman aren't fit to be…"

 _You know what?_ Eddie thought. _Screw politeness._

"Ten."

Three seconds later, the cops were on the ground with at least one broken limb each and the official found herself hoisted into the air by a very angry young man.

"Now, tell me where my wife is or I'll rip out your liver and eat it raw." Eddie demanded.

"I-I don't know!" The woman begged. "I swear! I'm sorry! I didn't…!"

"Not what I wanted to hear." Eddie grinned as he rose his left hand into a fist and pulled back

RING-RING-RING! RING-DING-ALING!

Eddie opened his fist to grab his phone and put it on speaker.

"Please give me some good news."

" _Wenders saw this on a security cam boss. Thought you might care."_

Eddie flipped open his phone, eyes widening as he dropped the woman and he focused on the image:

Masane, uncousious, being escorted into a Doji group building.

" _Called you a cab, it should get you there by nightfall."_ Yang then ended the call.

"Well Miss, it's your lucky day; my associates found my wife." Eddie smiled as he helped the official to her feet, dusting her off. "Next time, try and get your facts straight and do a little more research. And don't even bother threatening to sue me. I have very powerful friends that make your bosses look like schoolyard bullies."

Just then the cab pulled up and with a salute, Eddie vanished into the downtown traffic.

WBiD

Sneaking into the Doji Group building was easy. Finding Masane would've been harder…if not for the fact the sounds of combat coming from the basement. Falling to the ground and finding an underground city was one thing, but NOTHING could prepare Eddie for what else greeted him.

Masane, her short brown hair now long and as red as a bloodied ruby with black eyes, was now clad in only a very, very skimpy armor whole facing off various weapons….and she was tearing through them like a knife through butter.

Most men would instinctively worry and rush to aid their wife, but from where Eddie looking, she had it under control.

Admittedly, her enjoyment of battle was…different….but still attractive.

"Kami, I love this woman." Eddie smiled, his mind wondering back to when they'd first met…

Just then, a voice he feared filled his ears, shouting only a single word:

" _ **WITCHBLADE!"**_

Pain surged through Eddie's body and he let out a scream as shadows wrapped around his form

Even in her maddened, battle lust driven state, Masane seemed to recognize the scream.

"…Eddie?"

Quickly finishing her current target, she dashed over to were the scream had come from, a small part of her currently crazed mind hoping it was the husband she had been missing almost as much as her daughter the past few crazy days. It had been easy to find the source; the sudden spiral of green-tinted darkness and cold wind.

But like her husband moments ago, nothing could prepare her for what she saw:

Aside from his hair and forehead, there was nothing remotely resembling Eddie in his place.

This being's lower face was covered by a mask that seemed to be metal and organic, fitting in with the green and yellow armor that encompassed its body. Its hands were clawed, not unlike Masane's now where and its eyes were a sickly yellow.

Said sickly eyes glared venomously at the transformed Masane

" _ **WITCHBLADE!"**_ A dark, distorted and almost sickly voice came from the newcomer.

Masane's mind was, for a spilt second, taken over by…something else that hated the presence in front of her as much as it seemed to hate her…

"Fresh meat?" Masane smirked. "Perfect!"

The creature jumped forward and swung it's fist into her own, the force of said punch sending a shockwave through the area.

The newcomer then reached behind itself, manifesting dual pistols it began to fire. Masane leapt and dodged the bullets and kicked them out of its hands before kicking its chin upwards only to take off guard when a large arm suddenly manifested and slammed her into a wall before throwing her to the ground.

" **DESTROY IT!"** The newcomer commanded the arm to stretch and grab its enemy again…who simply smiled and laughed.

"Oh…big boy, aren't we?" She cooed sadistically. As she tore the hand in half and charged, only for her new target to suddenly vanish. "Don't be like that, I don't bite….too hard."

WBiD

Meanwhile, two men watched the fight with interest; one in a brown suit with a scar above his eye, the other in glasses and a blue suit.

"Director, should I recheck on Wado's…?" The glasses wear asked.

"No need." His superior cut off. "I know what this is."

WBiD

The female fighter had leapt off the building where she had first fought her enemy and was leaping oer the area in search of him.

"Come on out cutie…" Masane salivated. "This getting fun…!"

She was cut off by something grabbing her ankles and pulling her through the bulding. As she crashed through the empty floors, she glanced that only her foes' hands were visible, no doubt the reason for her latest problem. But just as soon as she saw them, they vanished.

The pain…no, the rush…that filled Masane was….addicting! Whoever this was, they knew how to throw down WAY better than those weird, pervy robot things….

"More…!" She gasped. "Need more!"

A hissing brought her back into fight-mode and the young woman grabbed a snake like creature and pulled it forwards, dragging the newcomer out of a shadow in the side of the building next to them. With a mad grin, she used the blade on her arm to slash at him before the snake vanished and he landed behind her, suddenly throwing a piece of rubble she cut in half without effort.

The newcomer saw the green fluid from its wound and attempted to retreat into the shadows of a wall…

"Oh hell no! We're not done yet!"

Masane leapt forward and punched her enemy's face with all her might, creating a crater along with destroying the small building the shadow had belong to. She was kicked away, only to land on her feet and dash back to him. The two began to trade punches and slashes that seemed to blur, maddened grins on their faces as blood flew from their forms.

"More!"

" **MORE!"** The newcomer shouted back, the outline of iris now emerging. With this, the newcomer stopped their punches and leapt over Masane, wrapping its arms around her and throwing onto the ground, pinning her arms to the ground.

The newcomer's mouth-plate briefly opened, allowing Eddie to steal a kiss from his transformed wife, who gritted her teeth once they separated and slashed at his chest

"Only one man gets to do that." She growled with a smile and licking her lips. "But that was pretty good….Here's your change."

Slamming her elbows into her enemy's back and then suplexing him into the wall, Masane roughly kissed him, only to be surprised when he grabbed her face and increased the passion. The newcomer then pushed against the wall and sent himself and Masane flying through buildings, tanks and cars, leaving a crevice as they seemed to switch between the position of being upwards or ground-bound.

The two men were now no longer sure they were watching a fight, or a make-out session that would destroy anything in its way.

A full minute later, two blocks of the city were now rubble after the two had separated, gasping for air

"Amazing…"

"Not too bad…"

What they said next did not surprise anyone:

"MORE!"

They then continued to battle. Masane slicing everything thrown at her while the newcomer summoned nearly every weapon known to man, sometimes getting a hit, sometimes not. He'd duck into shadows to heal his wounds even if it was only slightly, while Masane became more reckless, slamming her enemy inti ground in order to slice.

KILL! _**KILL!**_ KILL! _**KILL!**_

The voice was beginning to drown their minds…and the city was almost nothing but rubble. Just then, the outline of an iris vanished from the newcomer, whose eyes were pure yellow.

KILL! _**KILL!**_ KILL! _**KILL!**_

The newcomer then began to focus, and a black circle began to grow above it.

WBiD

"Segawa." The scarred man asked calmly. "Is that?"

"…I believe it is…" His assistant noted, some fear filling him. "Might I suggest we evacute?"

"I doubt it'll do much good."

WBiD

As it turned out, the evacuation would not be nessacary:

The newcomer suddenly plunged his bladed hands into his chest, dissipating the black hole and causing Masane to pause.

" **NO!"** The newcomer's voice shouted. **"WHY?! WE WERE SO CLOSE!"**

The creatures retreated back into the body they were possessed, some lapping up the blood and forcing the skin to heal. Then the cold, green spiral of darkness returned and soon in its place, was Eddie Estacado.

"E-Eddie?" Masane asked, her bloodlust now gone as she saw the sweating, gasping form of her husband.

"Hey." He smiled weakly. "Nice look. Brings out the wild in you."

He blinked and Masane was back to normal and cradling him. The one thing that was different was that she now wore a strange bracelet.

They then lost cousiousness

WBiD

When the couple awoke, the two men who had been watching introduced themselves as Reji Takayama and Segawa of the Doji Group. The bracelet Masane now wore was revealed to be the Witchblade, a weapon that could only be wielded by a woman, but was possibly the most powerful weapon of all time and never gave its user a happy ending.

Reji had wanted to recruit Masane to help the Doji group in fighting rouge weapons like the robots she had fought while in jail and before Eddie had shown up. On top of paying her, he promised her that he would ensure she and Rihoko would stay together.

"No need." Eddie said. "I found Riko already. She's at my hotel with some friends of mine. And the NSWF won't bother us bow that they know we're married."

Masane's eyes and heart filled with joy and she hugged her husband.

"And about you, Mr…?" Segawa started

"Estacado." Eddie glared at the man as he pushed a button on his phone. "And not now. Not here. I have been three months away from my family and our daughter is waiting for us. Our ride should be here soon."

"A word of advice?" Reji added as they made their way to the lobby. "Doji is not the only group that wants the Witchblade; the NSWF, who stalked your family…."

"Rhe NSWF and DOji aren't the only powerhouses in Tokyo." Eddie cut off. "I happen to work for Long. You're familar with him?"

Masane noted that Reji and Segawa seemed to tighten their form at the mention of Eddie's boss, but was tok drained, happy and anxious to see her daughter to care.

"Well chat later." Masane curtly as she let Eddie help her into the limo with a coy smile. "See ya."

Eddie gave the two a glare before slipping into the car with his wife.

As the car sped off, Masane shared a kiss with her husband.

"I missed you."

"Not as much as I missed you."

They went in for another kiss.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Apachi mused with a smile from the driver's seat. "You get a beauty to smooch, I just drive!"

Without breaking lip contact with his wife, Eddie flipped off his friend.

"Oh, how mature boss man."

WBiD

"Mommy! Daddy!"

The family hugged tearfully a few minutes later, Eddie's friends admiring the scene from the couch of a 5-star room's living room.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." Masane cried as she hugged and kissed her daughter, Eddie letting her hog Riko for a while.

The family promised to never be separated again, and Eddie's statement at Doji had made that clear, so Riko finally relaxed for the first time since she and her mother had gotten off the boat.

"So, we finally meet the great Masane herself." Hachi smirked at her boss' wife, and feeling some jealousy for her…assets, but pushing them aside. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hachi Chūjitsuna. If you ever need embrassing childhood stories, come to me. I practically grew up with him."

"Hachi…." Eddie gritt through his teeth, before introducing the others. "The siblings are Yang and Ying, my…interns. The twitching guy is Wenders….

"Y-y-you're even prettier t-than Eddie said…" Wenders shyly said, getting a pat on his head from Masane and fainting.

"And least he made a sentence this time…" Ying mused, her brother nodding with him. "And the big lug is Apachi, the driver."

The big guy smiled.

"Did you behave for my friends, sweetie?" Eddie asked.

"Y-y-you kidding?" Wenders asked as he began gathering his cards up and rubbing the little girl's hair. "L-little Riko here is a joy!"

"Much better than you were at that age." Hachi smiled, Apachi nodding in agreement

"Hey, remember I sign your paycheques." Eddie reminded her with a smirk. "Thanks for watching her guys. I know…"

"No problem, boss-man." Yang smiled as Ying gave Riko a hug. "See ya tomorrow?"

Eddie contemplated that for a minute.

"Nah, take the day off." He decided. "All of you. And I mean it!"

His friends saluted their boss before bidding Riko and Masane goodnight.

The family then plopped on the bed, exhausted from the past couple of day's events….until they heard a growling.

"Mommy, daddy…." Riko giggled. "Your tummies are calling!"

With a chuckle, Masane made her way to phone

"Let's order in, what's everybody want?"

"We need to watch our budget…" Riko pointed out, only for her hair to be messed up by Eddie.

"Nope. Anything and everything on the menu is up for grabs." He smiled, pulling out a black credit card. "Sky's the limit, my boss was so happy with how I handled business he gave me this."

After the order had been placed, the family prepared to get ready for bed, with Riko explaining that a small café had housed her for the night after she'd run of.

"We'll have to go tomorrow and thank them." Masane mused as she slipped into her pajamas.

The husband and father suddenly grew nervous: Eddie's form was covered with scars, which he kept covered most of the time; several across his wrist and forearm, many across his back and most prominently, one on the front of his neck.

His wife and daughter had seen them before…but still, there were like a shame to him.

"Eddie…" Masane cooed, Riko quickly rushing to his side and hugging him. "You know we don't care."

The man returned the hug and kissed both of his girls just as the door was knocked on.

After dinner had been eaten, the family got ready for bed

WBD

The sound of his phone ringing drew Eddie from bed.

"This had better be important." He growled once he saw the ID; DOJI. "I'm still a bit livid, Reiji."

"I'm sure you are. She accepted my terms through a text." Reiji explained. "On the grounds of ensuring that she and her daughter would be able to stay together. I intend to honor that commitment and would like to extend the offer to you as well."

"I already have a contract." Eddie replied. "And may I remind you I already leaked the info you wanted."

"Are you willing to take another?" Reji suggested. "Your….skills would prove useful. And your payment will be deposited shortly."

"To clarify; the second my contract with Doji is done, so am I. And go near Masane or Riko again while keeping secrets? I won't mind not getting my payment. Understood?"

"Understood." Reji replied.

The phone bleeped.

"Got another call….By the way, my offer to take Wado out still stands."

Masaya Wado. Director of the Bio Division at Douji Group Industries. He'd known and competed with Takayama since college, where they were once members of a rowing team. He constantly sought to outdo and eventually oust Takayama…and he was sucj an arrogant prick, Eddie had offered to do the job for free or chump change.

"Tempting…" Reiji smirked. "..But no, not yet."

Nuts.

"Hello."

"Eddie, it's been too long."

The young man's form tensed, recongizing that voice.

"Long-sama…"

"No need for that." The voice on the other end replied. "You're not in trouble or anything; I just heard your wife and daughter arrived in town. Hopefully without any problems…"

Eddie grunted

"I'm sensing a no…."

"The NSWF's Child Welfare Davison apparently lost sight of or ignored my marriage and adoption paperwork to Masane. They were chasing Riko all over town and had Masane thrown in jail."

"I see." The voice on the other end mused. "Did you kill them?"

A silence filled the room.

"Eddie…." The voice turned stern.

"I did not." He confessed. "I wanted to, but I did not."

The other end of the line went silent.

"…Good. I suppose I'll have to have a word with Furumizu. For now, you just enjoy time with your family."

"Thank you, Okashira."

The call ended and Eddie climbed back into bed with his wife and daughter.

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**


	2. Light of the Darkness and Blade

**Light of the darkness and blades**

Sleep had usually come easy to Eddie. No matter how bad the day had treated him, no matter how hungry or scared he was, the second the lights were out, he'd feel untouchable.

But six years ago, that all changed. Now, whenever he didn't have nightmares of the reason he was at the epicenter of the Great Quake and by extension, the reason his neck was scarred…or god above and below, that man….

" **GET RID OF THEM."**

The dark, sickly distorted voice of his power haunted his dreams.

" **GET RID OF THEM."**

Within his mind, Eddie held his ground, while on the outside his brow furrowed.

" **THE WOMAN IS A DECENT PIECE OF ASS, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. BUT THEY'RE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE…"**

"Yeah, you seem to know about that." Eddie pointed out. "Care to share?"

The presence was silent for a full minute.

"Hey, you want me to die, leave me in the dark until it happens." Eddie mused.

" **YOU SAW THE MARK ON HER WRIST WHEN YOU MET."** The voice retorted. **"WE BOTH DID. YOU THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A SCAR. I DIDN'T THINK IT'D ACTUALLY MANIFEST….LOOKS AND DRIVE ASIDE, SHE ISN'T HALF THE HOSTS I CAN RECALL IN PAST FEW CENTURIES. SHE'S PROBABLY JUST A TEMPORARY HOST."**

Somehow that last bit both fileld Eddie with relief and worry, while the primordial essence that co-opted his body cursed the fact that its current host was in a union with its counterpoint.

If there was one thing Eddie shared with his predesscaor, it was his dedication to those he cared about: His subordinates were loyal to the point of death to him before it had come into his possession. And after the Great Quake, those feelings had grown even

If it had feelings, it would feel some pride.

But that pride would not outweigh its own self-preservation. On the outside, Eddie's eyes glowed yellow.

" **AS YOU HUMANS ALWAYS SAY; WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT, DO IT…"**

It then recognized the coldness of metal being inserted somewhere: Eddie's gun was in his mouth and he glared at the sky of his mind, inwardly daring the voice to act on its threat.

Too bad for him it didn't seem to work, if the chuckle was an indication.

" **YOU'RE NOT LIKE HIM. YOU DON'T HAVE THE BALLS."** The darkness smirked, getting a chuckle at the comment. **"BESIDES, EVEN IF YOU PULLED THAT TRIGGER, I'LL JUST BRING YOU BACK….AND YOU'D NEVER WANT TRAUMATIZE LITTLE RIKO, WOULD YOU?"**

The sleeping girl caught Eddie's eye, and he found himself realizing the darkness was right,

" **Daddy, why?"** The Darkness sarcastilly cooed, flawlessly imitating little Rihoko Amaha's voice. **"Don't you love me and mommy?"**

The cock clicked as Eddie firmed his resolve, the father in him taking over his form.

' _Sorry Riko. But daddy promised nothing would hurt you or mommy again. Himself included.'_

As memories of the day he'd met them filled his mind, Eddie's forefinger wrapped around the trigger and he readied himself.

' _Masane….'_ He thought one last time. _'I love you.'_

He pushed his finger down

" **WAIT!"** The Darkness said. **"THINK ABOUT THIS! DEATH HURTS! BRINGING YOU BACK…"**

' _There it is.'_ Eddie smirked, pushing the gun further into his mouth to the point he almost choked on it. He placed his finger on the trigger and began to push downwards

In the real world, the two serepantine creatures manifesting and tore the gun out of Eddie's hand, devouring it and then returning his body before Riko stirred ever so briefly before going make to sleep.

"… **.YOU CHEEKY DICK WAFFLE."** The Darkness grumbled as it realized that once again it's host was willing to die for the sake of its loved ones. **"FINE! YOU CAN KEEP THEM AROUND. BUT THE SECOND THEY BECOME A BURDEN AND YOU'RE NOT AWAKE TO HANDLE IT…"**

"Question." Eddie asked, his gun now out of his mouth.

"… **YES, SMARTASS?"**

"Since…I'm heirless by all intends of your usual shtick…and the chances of me actually conceiving are, let's be honest, not likely…how would you get a new host?"

The Darkness was silent.

While it was true it had usually passed from father to son, if that had been the case for all of time someone would have found out by now and taken care of that. In a few cases, this had actually happened.

In cases where its host was without a male heir, the Darkness' backup plan would be possess the next darkest being in the area

None of the younger men in Eddie's circle were good enough for it; they'd had mostly 'good' lives filled with the light it despised so much. And even if one of them didn't, none of them were within the optimum age range: Never let it be said that the Darkness HAD to pass from father to son; it just made things easier; a host that was by DNA alone going to be able to handle it, and the world being cruel enough….

And to be honest, a small part of it did want to see how far this host would go, now that recent revelations were about to push him into similar territories to what his father had gone through.

" **REMEMBER THIS. I AM MERCIFUL AND UNDERSTANDING. BUT YOU DON'T CONTROL ME."**

"Don't need to."

WBiD

Riko was still asleep when the sun first rose that following morning. This gave her parents to stare at her lovingly as they waited for Room Service, Eddie brushing her hair out of her eyes while Masane wrapped her daughter in more blanket.

It was a serene and welcome scene for the two adults….but some truths had to be dropped.

"So, are we just going to ignore what happened in that underground city?" Masane asked her husband quietly.

"Was kind of hoping you'd forget that…." Eddie admitted.

"Rather hard to forget my husband turning into some sort of….whatever that was you were."

Eddie stopped brushing Riko's hair and turned away from the two lights of his life, but Masane's resolve didn't change.

"Eddie. Look at me."

His feet were very interesting suddenly; when had he gotten that scar?

"Look at me." Masane repeated herself.

He clenched the edge of the bed, fighting the urge to listen to her wish.

"Please, Eddie?"

With a sigh, Eddie did as she asked.

"I know…bad things happened to you before we met." Masane said, trying to choose her words carefully.

' _If only she knew the half of it…_ ' he thought to himself.

"And I'm not forcing you to say anything." She clarified. "We all have things we don't want to talk about or remember. But, if I'm going to be working with Doji and figuring whatever the heck this thing on my wrist, I need to know you're going to be there for Riko if anything happens to me."

"I will." He said, no doubt in my mind, taking her hands into his own desperately.

They stayed in silence for a full minute, before hugging each other, Eddie delighting in smelling Masane's shampooed hair and reveling in euphoric bliss as her fingers traversed his backside, being careful to avoid the scars on his back.

"I missed this." Masane whispered into his ear, gently kissing it as she felt his hands cup her face

"Me too."

The silence returned for another minute.

"The thing I have…." Eddie said, breaking the silence. "Is called the Darkness. It's…the one 'present' I ever got from….my dad."

That revelation made Masane's eyes widen; Eddie NEVER talked about his father. In fact, in the six years they had been together, this was the first time he had ever mentioned or hinted at a male parent, knowingly and willingly at least.

"I've had it since the day we met. It only works at night or in the shadows….and remember what Reiji said?"

"Reiji?" Masan asked. "You mean Scarface from Doji?"

Eddie chuckled lightly at his wife's nickname foe the man.

"Yeah….anyway; remember what he said? About six years ago? And the WItchblade?"

Masane nodded in dread.

"Well, when the Great Quake came from the WItchblade….I think my thing…may have helped. The Darkness has major beef with the WItchblade, and…"

"Yeah, I remember that." Masane pointed out, remembering how when they'd fought she had been so determined to kill her husband. "But enough about that stuff. Eddie, tell me honestly: What is it you do? And please, the truth."

 _Oh geez,_ Eddie mused. He hated it when Masane had a hunch on things; when she did, nothing short of Riko needing her would stop her from digging up what she needed.

"….Would you believe me if I said I'm a preventer?" He asked weakly. "The kind of guys who stops bad things from happening?"

"If you hadn't started with 'would you believe,' yeah." Masane admitted with a knowing smile. "And if we hadn't watched Taken before you left."

"…Would you believe me if I said I was a high class mortician?"

"No."

"….Janitor of the elite?"

"Eddie…." Masane frowned.

The stifling and yawning of their daughter ended their conversation for now.

"Good morning mommy. Morning, daddy." The little girl yawned

"Good morning sweetie." Eddie smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

Rihoko nodded as the door was knocked on.

WBiD

After breakfast, the family made their way down to the lobby with the intent of hailing a cab and then making their way over to Marry's Café, where Riko had hidden from Child Welfare for a night.

"Good morning, Amahas."

Masane and Eddie frownd at the sight of Segawa

"This is a family matter, you're not invited." Masane said, a little curtly. "Come on, Riko!"

"Allow me to act as your bodyguard then." Segawa cut in

"Come on guys, hurry up!" Riko called, already sitting comfortably in the back seat.

"Please?"

The parents gave each other a look, sighed and then went to join their daughter.

"How'd you find us?" Eddie asked before he stepped in. "No one but me and my gang knew were we staying, and I KNOW none of them would rat me out to you."

"You underestimate the Doji group's influence." Segawa smiled knowingly.

"And you overestimate your charm." Eddie replied with venom dripping in his voice as he got into the car. "Just get us to the damn place, back to the hotel and then piss off. I'm still ticked at what you did."

Not too far away, Eddie's friends observed the scene from their own car.

"I don't trust him." Yang frowned as his eyes jumped from his tablet to the scene. "He's coming up blank on the web; no clubs he's part of, never stays with any job for long…"

"Strikes me as the 'backstab the second the other side had something better' type." Hachi mused as she motioned Apachi to follow.

"S-s-s-should w-w-we be d-d-doing this?" Wenders asked. "E-Eddie'll be so f-f-f-freaking pissed if…"

"I have a reason to visit Marry's." Hachi cut him off as she took out a scrunchie.

WBiD

Marry's Café was a multi-use building; aside from the bar and a few rooms no one really lived there. It seemed decent enough to live…but the first person the Amahas met put Eddie on edge.

He was an older man, looking at young women in bikinis on his laptop

"You must be little Rihoko!" Mr Chou said happily, hugging the young girl. Eddie tensed but held his stance, blocking out the memoires of….that place, only to clench his fists at the sight of the man hugging his wife…but something also told him that this man was 'okay.'

"Ahem." He said through his teeth. "Kindly release my wife."

The old man, Mr. Chou, apologized profusely, and Eddie tuned out Masane's conversation with him.

' _Oh, this just keeps getting better and better….'_ Eddie thought to himself. _'Dirty old men, shy physics and a manager who used to be a model? I better have Yang check to see if the bosses ever used this place…'_

"WE'LL TAKE IT!"

Masane, her arm outstretched as though she were a student in school who wanted to ask a question, grinned happily.

"I said we'll take it!" She announced. "The room that's for grabs!"

"Really mom, can we?" Riko asked.

"…Uh, Masane? Shouldn't we see it first?" Eddie asked before returning to Mr. Chou once it became obvious the women in his life were not listening. "You did say there was no bath, righ…and you're not even listening to me, are you?"

The older man was already scribbling down notes.

WBiD

"They're taking their time…" Segawa mused as he vacuumed the inside of his car, not noticing van that parked on the other side of the road.

"Um…g-g-guys and g-g-g-gals?" Wenders asked suddenly, pointing to a car that pulled up beside the café.

"Oh shit." Ying cursed. "That's…!"

"Why him? Why now?" Yang questioned in fear.

"Stay here." Hachi ordered, loading her gun and slipping it into her purse as she made her way over and into the café.

WBiD

"No kids. They're noisy. Besides, I'm zoned for commercial lease."

Marry was adamant about not letting the Amahas take up residence in the one free room.

"Look, I'll handle rent." Eddie assured her after she shot down Masane and Riko's pleas. "In fact, I can put a down payment, right now. Cash or credit, your choice."

"Not interested." Marry snapped at the man. "Now, bug off."

"Not even if…" Eddie started, reaching into his jacket to pull out a wad of yen. Just then, the café door opened and another voice cut in.

"Hey Marry, have you sold my room yet?"

The assembled turned to see a young man, a little younger than Masane and Eddie. He had black hair with two tufts of white on his side burns, and wore a form fittng t-shirt and overshirt with jeans and sneakers. He was very well built, which many of the women were grateful for.

"No, but these folks are interest…"

She then realized that the man had stopped in shock as he entered, his eyes making contact with Eddie's

"…P-Peter?" Eddie asked in shock, recognizing this man.

"…Eddie?" The newcomer asked, too much in shock to see Hachi slipping in, waving hello to Masane and Riko before making her way over to the crowd at the bar.

The faces of the two men contorted from shock to joy.

"EDDIE!"

"PETEY!"

The two men hugged each other, smacking each other on the back and shoulders as they laughed.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked

"What am I….?' Eddie started. "What are YOU doing here?"

Before Peter could respond, Rihoko pulled on Eddie's jacket.

"Daddy, do you know him?"

The two men's embrace broke, Peter's eyes wide with shock.

"…Daddy?" Peter asked, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "You mean….?"

Eddie smiled weakly as he made his way back to his family.

"No." Peter said. "No freaking way…."

"Masane, Riko…" Eddie beamed, bringing them closer to him. "This Peter, my little brother. Pete….this is my wife Masane and my daughter Rihoko."

"You never told us you had a brother." Masane noted before taking a closer look at Peter; while there were some familiar face characteristics, Peter's hair was as black as coal, expect for the white tips of his sideburns.

"Half-brothers. They share the same mother." Hachi whispered into Masane and Riko's ear.

"…I'm an uncle?" Peter finally said to himself, a smile crossing his face. "I'm an uncle. Look at me, I'm an uncle!"

"Very nice to meet you, sir." Riko smiled, only to be taken into a hug by the man.

"There'll be none of that 'sir' stuff! You will call me Uncle Petey!" Peter smiled with delight as his niece giggled, only for the man to stop at a realization. "Wait a second…how old are you?"

"Almost six…" Riko started.

Her uncle's face contorted into rage, although Riko found his reddening face funny.

"EDDIE! You big, fat pile of turdiscles! How come you never told me?!" Peter snapped.

"…We haven't spoken in years." Eddie pointed out. "Your fault, by the way."

"My fault?!" Peter snapped. "YOU walked out on me!"

"YOU called me a hypocrite!" Eddie retorted

"Um, uncle Petey?" Riko asked. "Can I get down?"

"Oh right. Sorry, Riko!" Peter smiled as he put her down. "I'm not used to holding up nieces. BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD ONE!"

"Well if you hadn't joined the army!" Eddie snapped back.

"All Estacados serve their country!" Peter snapped back. "All but YOU!"

"I serve the head of this city!" Eddie snapped back.

"Um mom? What's an Estacado?" Riko asked, stopping the fight ever so briefly

"What's an…? She doesn't…? Peter Estacado." Peter said in desperation, pointing to himself and then to Eddie. "Eddie Estacado. Rihoko Estacado. We're the Estacados!"

"Actually, it's Amaha." Eddie said, flipping open his wallet to reveal a driver's license. "I liked Masane's last name more. Sides, it's not even our real last name."

"It's the name mom gave us." Peter reminded his brother.

"And it's also the only thing I have against mom."

"If you hold anything against her, you're not worth calling her that." Peter retorted, soliciting gasps from everyone…save his brother.

"Oh, almost sounded like man there, baby bro…" Eddie mused, a smug smile on his face as he leaned in to whisper. "Man enough as a virgin can get, I suppose."

In spite of those words, the younger man simply smiled.

"Well, do Masane and Riko know what you do to your sheets?" Peter retorted.

"Oh…crud." Hachi gasped.

"…You wouldn't dare…" Eddie growled quietly.

"Here's a hint…its yellow."

Eddie growled and clenched his fist at Peter's smirking face.

"Just what is going on here?"

The fighting stopped, and Eddie suddenly tensed before he fell down to one knee and bowed his head in respect, getting his wife and daughter concerned.

"Long-sama…"

The newcomer was an older man with greying and waving hair, but was still fit enough to look that he was in his early thirties instead of his fifties. His blue eyes pierced the souls of all gazed into them. He wore a black overcoat over a kimono and had a katana at his side.

At his side was a glasses wearing brunette man in a brown and black suit, his hair in a short ponytail and an annoyed look on his face.

"Get up, Eddie. No need for that."

Eddie leapt to his feet, keeping his head bowed.

"What brings you here, okashira?" He asked the older man.

"I was merely going out for a stroll when I saw Apachi's car across the street." Long explained. "I thought I'd just make sure he wasn't bothering anyone."

It was then that Eddie finally noticed Hachi.

"I got a date." She explained, pointing to the fortune teller Naomi as Long caught sight of the.

"But," He smiled with a slight bow. "Finally meeting the legendary Masane and Rihoko Amaha is an added bonus. I am Long Yoijoshi, Eddie's employer."

Masane and Riko bowed in kind

"Hello sir." They said together, getting a smile from the older man before he noticed the other young man in the room.

"Peter." His smile grew and tears started to pour in his eyes. "Wonderful to see you again after so many years. I see life is treating you well."

Peter simply bowed his head slightly.

"I just came to pick up something I forgot in my room." He said, a little curtly and with an obvious distaste in his voice as he turned to Marry, "…but if they're moving in, they can keep it. It'll remind Eddie of where we come from."

He then turned to face Masane and Riko, a genuine smile on his face.

"It was great to meet you, I hope to see you again soon and under better circumstaces." He then patted Riko on the head. "Stay gold."

Peter then drove off, fighting back the tears stinging his eyes.

"Well." Long sighed. "I best be off myself."

He then turned to Masane and Riko and gave them a gentle smile

"It's an honor to meet the two of you. Thank you for giving Eddie so much happiness. Please! Come over to dinner sometime."

"Father…" The young man said, pointing to watch.

"Right, right." Long sighed.

WBiD

Needless to say, when the Amahas returned to their hotel room, they were exhausted.

After the two emotional reunions, Marry and Masane had gotten into an argument that had ended with name calling and items being thrown.

They had gone back to the hotel to wind down; watching a few movies on TV and ordering in lunch and dinner. It had been the best way to spend the day; in each other's arms on the same bed, with no worries in the world.

That is, when home-hunting wasn't on the forefront:

"I still think Miss Mariko's place would be best." Riko said the next morning as she skimmed through a magazine.

"Well, there's another place I can't show myself again…" Eddie teased lightly as he washed his face.

"She started it." Masane pointed out

"You were a little out of line mom." Riko retorted. "Daddy? What did Ms. Mariko mean when she said she was zoned for commercial lease?"

"It means she only rents to businesses, sweetheart." Eddie responded before the phone rang. Masane departed shortly for a meeting, before Eddie's own phone rang and he stepped out onto the room's padio to take the call.

"Peter." He started weakly.

"Little survivor tip: I'll be in the area on a body-guarding job. Don't do anything illegal and we'll get along fine." His brother said simply as he left his car and bounded into the Airport.

"Pete, wait…" Eddie started, stopping his brother from ending the call. "I just….I know we…"

He sighed.

"I'm glad you're doing okay. Please take care of yourself."

Peter was quiet for a while.

"Me too." He replied honestly. "You take care of that wife of yours. And my niece."

Eddie smiled simply.

"I will. Don't you go and fuck up this job of yours."

Peter chuckled sarcastically.

"See you around, Kyōdai."

"You too, Otōto." Eddie replied as he ended the call.

He then reached into his pocket, and flipped open the small sword shaped locket that housed Masane and Rihoko's picture. On the other side, there was a picture of him and Peter, no older than eight, with a beautiful young woman in a red kimono.

He then heard Masane return, calling their daughter's name…and said daughter was nowhere to be seen.

"…She didn't!" They said together, dashing out their room in shock, worry and in at least Masane's case, anger.

"How the hell could you let her wonder off?!" She snapped at Eddie as they raced down the streets.

"I was with Peter on the phone outside!" Eddie retorted weakly, unable to believe he'd let RIko wonder off to Marry's without him sensing her leaving. He'd have to do a job soon….

"Yeah, that's ANOTHER conversation we need to have!" Masane noted as they reached their destination. "Are there any other family members or friends you haven't told me about?"

"Can we not talk about this now?" Eddie begged as they found Riko at Marry's Gallery, about to enjoy a pudding a la mode and apparently trying once again to win Marry over and chatting with Mr. Chou.

"RIHOKO AMAHA!" The two parents shouted as they caught their breath. "What where you thinking, running off on your own?"

"But mom, dad…"

"We're going home." Eddie said firmly. "And we'll have a long talk about this later."

"You know she'll only rent out to businesses…" Masane reminded her daughter.

The name weighed on the family for a minute.

….

….

"Odd job Amaha?" Masane asked. "That's…our name."

Riko then let out a yip of horray

"Surprise! Odd job Amaha is OUR company!" She beamed.

"NANI?!" Eddie, Masanae and Mr. Chou asked in shock.

"I called a real estate agent and asked myself!" Riko exclaimed in delight, jumping up and down in delight. "It's okay, right mommy? Daddy? Our company name?"

….

"Odd Job…Amaha?" Masane said aloud. "Yeah…actally, that kind of sums it up."

Eddie, a bright smile on his face, then took his daughter into his arms.

"I am so proud of you!" He beamed as he nuzzled Riko's nose. "Your first time using loophole abuse! That's my little girl!"

He then saw the teasingly disapproved look on Masane's face.

"Uh. I mean…" Eddie said weakly as he placed his daughter down and cleared his throat. "That was very naughty, Rihoko Amaha. I am very disappointed in you."

He then leaned in and whispered into her ear

"Next time we go shopping, you can get any three toys or outfits you want. Just don't tell mommy,"

Marry tried in vain to deny she had been serious, but Mr. Chou had already written up a contract and Masane quickly signed it

"Thank you, Ms. Mariko." The family bowed with a triumphant smile on their faces before they faced each other. "Go Team Amaha!"

"You do realize you only have a year here, right?" Marry noted.

"I may be able to do something about that…." Eddie smiled knowingly. _'Better hope for a huge ass job soon….'_

In the meantime, he was going to spend the time with his family.

WBiD

That evening, Peter finished a lukewarm soda as he waited at the airport for the person he was to be guarding. Their flight had just landed due to a weather delay, and he was trying to mentally prep himself for meeting them. But the images of his brother and his family kept him from doing so.

Maybe he'd been a little rash in how he and Eddie had departed….

He shook that thought away.

Eddie was in the wrong here not him. Loyalty and honour be damned, he was a murdering dog to a Yakuza boss; a criminal through and through. It was people like Eddie that gave self-made men like them a bad man

Just then the door opened, and out stepped a young woman of caucasin decent with short black hair and yellowish green eyes. Behind her was an equally beautiful young woman of African-American descent.

"Welcome to Japan, Ms Pezzini…" Peter started as he shook her hand

"Please, call me Hope." She smiled, then pointing to her friend. "This is my good friend and partner, Cyan Fitzgerlad. I hope you're okay with guarding two people. She has…experience with what I'm here for."

Peter nodded in understanding as he shook Cyan's hand.

"Welcome to Japan, Ms. Fitzgerelad."

"Now, where's the nearest coffee place?" Hope asked.

WBiD

At the same time, at a gala on a luxurious yacht, trouble was about to stir.

The host of the party, Tatsuoki Furumizu, was head of the NSWF. He had been a brilliant scholar and administrator in his youth before vanishing into obscurity until the Great Quake, where he re-emerged as the head of his powerful company. Now he was dedicated to one thing; acquiring the WItchblade.

Despute his warm demeanour, Furumizu hated these parties, although he would later be grateful he came to this one:

There was a ruckus at the reception, the hostess was determined to keep someone off. Furumizu, while inwardly worried with this arrival, but in a warm face and motioned the newcomer on.

"Long." He smiled. "It has been too long. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"It is a manner of…our partnership." The younger man replied, his pusher glaring at Furumizu's own secretary, Nora.

"I see. Perhaps we could talk in my study?" Furumizu asked, motioning to Nora to ready his office.

Long smiled curtly.

"Do you have sake?" He asked

A few minutes later, the group had been sevred some sake.

"So, what brings…?"

"Child welfare." Long cut him off. "They have been acting rather Templar-like."

"This is no concern of ours." Nora said in place of her 'father', who nodded.

"It's not your uncaring nature that vexes me." Long replied to the older man. "It's WHO your Child Welfare Division accosted that brings me here."

"Again, some unfit parent trying to keep their child is not my concern." The NSWF head ignored his guest, only chuckled.

"Prepare to eat your words. That neglectful parent, as call them…is my top assassin's wife."

Giving his son a nod, Long watched as Waiban dropped a photo of Masane and Riko onto the table, alongside with that of a young man Furumizu had never seen before.

"His birth name is Eddie Estacado, although that last name of his comes only from his mother's devotion to his one-night stand father. When he was younger, he was known as Namahage."

"A boogeyman?" Nora smirked, not being intimidated. No matter how fearsome a nick-name was, a man was still a man; no match for a Neo-Gene.

"One who stole away bad children, if I recall correctly." Furumizu followed.

"Correct. Only, Eddie isn't the Boogeyman..." Long smiled. "He's the Boogeyman's pimp. "

"And how did you come to that decision?" Furumizu asked, somewhat intimdated by the description.

"Let me explain; you seek the Witchblade, correct? " Long asked.

This put 'Father' and the Neogenes on the edge.

"Worry not, I have no interest in it. But how does this relate to Eddie, you ask? Well, what he has is the literal personification of darkness and evil, a presence that rivals the Witchblade and is far more likely to aid a man. As long as the lights are out, there's little Eddie can't do. How do I know this? I saw it in action when I was starting out….

Long shivered at the memories of seeing the Darkness in action…He had been younger then, a mere thug in the Empire he now ruled. To see its power had been terrifying and awesome….and it had proven fruitful to follow the trail of the user.

"The last user, Eddie's father, was certainly among the most powerful and prolific hosts, although Eddie certainly doesn't trail far behind."

Furumizu then received an email and put it on the screen. What he saw shook him to the bones:

Under the tag of 'The Darkness did it', where news reports and or recollections of major seemingly natural disasters; earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes….and massive massacres that gave the term regicide a serious run for its money.

"For someone who is essentially a GOD though…." Long brought the head of the NSWF back to reality. "My boy is a simple man who follows the principals of professionalism, commitment, loyalty and repayment...Something your company it seems, has forgotten, if what he told me is any indication."

"Whatever are you…?"

"Child services ignored or attempted to delete documents that proved that a little girl had not only TWO loving parents through marriage, one of which, I feel the need to add, can make more in one week than the officials do in a year, but also manipulated a woman into throwing herself in jail and nearly handing over custody of her child. That child….was Eddie's."

While Nora would have otherwise stated that one assassin was not worth the worry, the look on Furumizu's face told her that it would be wise not to interject.

"One time, at a ramen bar..." Long interrupted. "Eddie killed six men in a minute using only the blunt end of his chopsticks and without stopping from his meal after they insulted one of his subordinates. And that was BEFORE he got his powers. "

This got Furumizu's attention.

"Got?" Reina asked. "I assumed he inherited them."

Long scrunched his brow.

"You're not unwise in that assessment….but had things gone differently….Oh well, no use imaging what could've happened….Remember the Great Quake five years ago?"

"Yes." Nora, Reina and Furumizu said together.

"Eddie was there for a job, right at the center of it all. He survived, in thanks to getting his powers at the right moment. Despite the chaos of those days, he did as he had been tasked and came back to ask for something: To go part-time. He'd met a woman, decided he loved her. He had never asked for anything before and this was certainly not too grand a request, so I had no objection...sadly, I was alone in that regard."

The old man took a long sip of his drink.

"I know remind you all of the American crime family; Frencetti?"

"Who?"

"A mob group." Nora explained. "What do they…?"

"They owned Eddie's father and when he got the Darkness, instead of seeing him as a grand tool to be used...tried to destroy him; targeted him for death, killed his love...And in the end, signed their own death warrant. Returning to my tale, the other heads gave Eddie a task that NO one could have done and then, when he accomplished it, had the stupidity to demand he thank them and deny him his request. The bodies Eddie buried in that hour… secured my position and this gang's power in New Tokyo, along with your own."

Waiban handed Furumizu a list. All of the names on it had belonged to very powerful and influential people. People who, if they were still alive, could've exposed his less humane acts and shut down his plans whenever they felt like it.

"And now, Furumizu...last night, mere hours after he reunited with said wife and their child, Eddie informed me that your group is not only targeting her, but their young daughter."

The younger old man took a gulp of sake directly from the gourd.

"Recall everything I just said. Does that sound worth getting whatever you want? And before you respond...remember that I gave you the loan to start your company and have yet to collect my favor."

Long then sapped his fingers, and his son pushed him out the door once he returned to his chair.

"Consider this my informing you that the New Tokyo Yakuza will be joining the fray of your war with the Doji Group when and wherever it affects my subordinates' family. Pray that your resources are up to par with our own."

"All this for one man and his family?" Nora asked

"But of course." Long smiled.

"When you have a loyal follower who could destroy you at any moment and knows it," Waiban noted. "Would it not make sense to make sure they are kept happy, especially if they do so much for you and ask for little in return?"

Father and son then departed the room, leaving the old man and his two daughters to stew in their thoughts.

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**

 **For reference, Masane and Peter are 23, Eddie, Hope and Cyan are 26. Ying and Yang are 19, Wenders is 25, Apachi and Waiban are 24, Long is 54.**

 **Next chapter, we will finally see Eddie's past, how he and Masane met, and just WHAT he was doing at the center of the Great Quake.**


	3. Moving in and Flashbacks

**Murder, Moving in and Memories**

Moving in was easier than Eddie had anticipated.

After checking out of the hotel and his wife going to a meeting with Reiji to finalize her contract, the family had finally been able to see what Masane had fought so hard to get:

It was a two bedroom and kitchenette (which Riko, much to her parents' delight immediately made plans to use) with a window view of the New Tokyo skyline.

The current Darkness host had to admit, it would be nice to have a place to call his, Masane and Riko's: No more motel rooms, no moving around and wondering where they'd next plop their heads…

"I could get used to this." He mused, drowning out Masane and Mari's argument on the rent, and making a mental note to ask Long for a job so that he could maybe bribe Mari to ease off on Masane.

"Daddy, who's this?"

Eddie looked over and froze in shock at the picture his daughter was pointing at. The world went silent as he made his way over, his eyes never leaving the picture. When he could walk no further without bumping the picture, he knelt down and with a shaking, almost fearful hand, touched the picture

"Eddie?" Masane cooed in concern before spying the picture; two little boys, obviously her husband and his brother, in the arms of a smiling girl. She had seen this picture before, but where…?

"Daddy?" Riko asked, some worry in her being. "Are you…?"

"That's mom…" Eddie quietly whispered.

Oh.

Eddie's mother was a lovely woman with dark blue/black hair tied into two low twintails with flower pins. She wore a red Kimono with pattern of what looked like sprouts, and its yellow Datejime neatly tied with long white socks and sandals; while on her arms, yellow and red wrist pads.

It wasn't lost on Masane that Eddie's mother looked an awful lot like a grown-up Riko.

The only man in the room found himself pulled back to reality when he felt four arms wrap around him; his daughter was hugging him from his stomach while Masane from behind. He pecked his wife's hand and ruffled Riko's hair

"Thanks." He cooed.

"Welcome to neighberhood!"

The four turned to see Mr. Chou standing outside their room, a matress in his arms

"I got you a housewarming present!" The older man chuckled.

"Here, let me take that off your hands." Eddie smiled, thankful for the gift and they fact that they'd have a place to rest their heads; he didn't want Riko sleeping on a chair or the couch.

"And these!" Mr. Chou added, producing five tickets. "Tickets to the bathhouse. We don't have one as you know, and I imagine you'd all like to relax a little. Interested?"

There was no argument in going to the bath-house. But in taking the elevator?

"…I'll take the stairs and see you down in the lobby." Eddie mused, finding it too cramped for his tastes. "I could use the exercise."

"Suit yourself." Masane mused

"Riko, make sure no one else looks mommy." Eddie commanded his daughter, who saluted him.

WBiD

The bathhouse was quiet on the men's side; Eddie had the whole place to himself after Mr. Chou was kicked out by the owner for listening in Masane and Riko's bath-time chat.

He liked her already.

It had been so long since he'd been to a bathhouse: Growing up they had been a luxury, so he opted for swimming or showers. That was, back when he was single.

"Really wish there was mixed bathing…" Eddie mused to himself.

He had been away from his wife and daughter for a whole month before they joined him in New Tokyo. Even with all the time in the hotel room before Riko's clever little misleading led to Mari giving them the pad they now had, it didn't seem like enough to make up for the smiles he'd missed, the meals Riko had cooked, the adventures she and Masane went on to get to the boat that would take them there….

And his 'husbandly' duties of course.

Oh well, that could wait. He enjoyed his private male bathhouse; no one to gawk at his scar-riddled form and plenty of time for him to reflect and thinki about how to spoil his wife and daughter now that they were back in his life.

Stretching out his arms as he reached to wash his hair, the young man felt something odd when he placed a hand on his knee to get out.

"Oh yeah." He remembered, his mood dampening as his vision blurred and he found himself watching and being a part of old memories.

WBiD

 **21 years ago…**

" _Careful Eddie, you'll get soap in your eyes."_

 _Eddie, age five, smiled sweetly at the woman washing him and three year old Peter in a large pan that was doubling as a bathtub and washing station. The younger brother babbled as he clapped his hands in the water, splashing the woman bathing them_

" _Petey!" The woman smiled happily at her toddler. "You got soap in my eye!"_

 _The toddler just babbled as Eddie laughed at his mother's luck_

" _Keep this up and no playtime for you, buster." She smiled knowingly. Her sons wised up and did as they were told._

 _The slums of Tokyo may have been littered with junk and sounds no one would like to hear, but to him, it had been home. A place where he, Hachi and Apachi could crawl all over as they explored their home from dusk to dawn, stopping only when called for lunch, dinner and snack._

 _They crawled up the piles of junk and took thrown out toys and clothes as their own. Apachi would occasionally sample the still edible food while Hachi reminded them how one day she'd be running the slums. He would just smile and nod to their antics, proud to have them as friends._

 _They were almost more like siblings; whenever he heard a simple coo, he;d drop everything and dash home and they'd be close after him. His mother would be waiting, some food and tea prepped for them to enjoy as they watched old TV re-runs and she nursed Peter, unless he wanted his brother._

 _Eddie shut up as she finished cleaning him and his brother, getting them dressed and then slipping into her kimono._

" _I'll back in time for breakfast. Be safe."_

" _You be safe, mama." Eddie replied, getting a kiss on his nose._

 _His mother was part of the oldest profession, but she was also a damn good mother: Always there to cheer them up, making good food for them and watching TV with them._

 _They may have been poor, but Eddie's childhood had been a happy one for the most part; he spent so many days and early evenings hanging out with Hachi and Apachi, rummaging through the scrap metals piles around their neighborhood and imagining how life would be once they got out of the slums they called home._

 _And then his mother got sick._

 _She hid it as long as she could; feigning a stomach ache or having had some bad sake with her clients. But soon, it was obvious she wasn't long for the world._

 _She had started losing her mind first, recalling the better times of her life….but she never regretted her boys. But as her mind went, so did the tolerance for her; the quthorties took her away to a hospital. The only good thing was that the boys stayed with her side._

 _It helped._

 _This was also were she first mentioned a father to Eddie: A foreigner who had been dark and brooding, on a business trip with the Yakuza. He had seen her, and under the influence of a few drinks, had bought her for a night._

 _He had been….perfect. Gentle yet forceful, commanding yet understanding. She could tell he didn't truly need/ want what was happening and was in grief over the loss of something dear to him. He had paid her exponentially more than her usual fee, and in broken Japanese, told her to try and get out of the business. He had also given her a name; Estacado._

 _His mother had never, aside from Eddie and Peter (who never found out about his father), looked at a man the same way again. Most children may have been happy to know this, but Eddie grew to hate this man with a passion._

 _Finally, on what would've been her 27_ _th_ _birthday, she died. Her last words:_

" _I love you."_

 _In retrospect, the orphanage was not as bad as it could have been. Most of the staff genuinely cared for the kids and did their best with limited resources, stopping bullying whenever they could and trying to make some sense of home while never outright replacing the parents the kids had lost._

 _Peter was often picked on due to his youth and naivety, and Eddie found himself getting into trouble as he began to get…excessive whenever he defended his brother. He didn't regret a damn thing however, and whenever he was thrown into a closet for punishment, he welcomed iyt._

 _Things had been okay until a month after they had arrived._

 _The matron, a large and in charge woman, had often pointed out that Peter was the cuter of the Estacado brothers. The way she had done so had reminded Eddie of some of the men who'd visit his mother, which had been something to put him on high alert._

 _It was the middle of the night; all the kids were alseep and most of the staff were home. Eddie had gotten up for a drink of water after a particularly rough day; Peter had been swirlied, pantsed…and Eddie had sent 10 boys to the infirmary._

 _Downing the lukewarm water and fighting back the digust, Eddie made his was back to his bed when he heard a whimper._

 _A whimper he recognized_

"… _Pete?"_

 _He slowly made his way to the source of the whimper: Peter was indeed crying, on his knees and the woman was undoing her pants in a way that reminded Eddie of the men who his mother brought home…._

" _Worthless whore made something good after all." She smirked. "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit…."_

 _Eddie snapped._

" _Get away from my brother!"_

 _He had leapt onto the matron, slamming her face against the floor and breaking her nose and lip. He then chopped at her neck with all the force in his vody…which was, it turned out, enough to kill her and awaken the other staff._

 _Paying them no mind, Eddie had grabbed Peter and dashed for the nearest exit; a window. Taking his brother into his arms, he leapt out and ran as fast as his legs could carry him._

 _They ran for days on end, their feet bloody and raw by the time they were in a town at least two more over. They huddled into a cardboard box that shielded them from the elements and gazes of most…_

 _Save for a young man in a suit_

" _Hello…"_

 _The man handed the two boys a bento and ice cold coke each. Exhaustion, starvation and thirst over-ruled their mother's words to never talk to strangers._

" _It's hot outside. Need a place to stay?"_

WBiD

The man introduced himself as Long, a mid-level Yakuza member who was in need of subordinates. He was willing to pay for their food, education and lodging to get them under his payroll. And he was not cheap at all; the best schools and finest meals were soon at the boys' beck and call.

At Eddie's request, Long found their childhood friends and arranged for them to come under his employ. It got them all out of the slums, which they were grateful for…although some less than others.

Eddie blocked out the memory of the day that he and Peter had had their argument, but another memory that he hated even more crept in its place….

WBiD

 _ **Day of the Great Quake**_

" _What's your name?"_

 _Once those words had been spoken, Eddie's life had been doomed._

 _Long had sent him, Hachi, Apachi and Wenders to go and meet with someone who wanted to bring their business to Tokyo; a man that many stayed away from; they'd called Long insane for going near him, and said no profit he could bring would be worth what they would go through once he was part of their ranks._

 _Long had point blank told Eddie failure was not an option on this mission; either get the man's business or his life. Either way, Long would be happy._

 _The man was a legend in the western crime world; he was aged but still commanded respect. His hair was greying and a few liver spots were clear in spite of looking only 50 at worst, which he was older than. He had a breathing tank and popped pills almost by the minute._

 _No one was to exchange names._

 _The meeting had somehow managed to fall on Eddie's birthday. While he didn't really care that about turning 21, in fact he'd stopped caring about his birthday ever since Peter had effectively cut himself out of his life, Eddie was in a slight rush to get this done so that he could get over Hachi and Apachi dragging him to several bars, Wenders dropping off a cake and Yang and Ying dropping off several gift cards he honestly wouldn't touch._

 _But that one moment, that one question….Eddie disobeyed Long-Sama and answered honestly, wanting this man's business for his master._

" _Estacado." The young assassin declared. "Eddie Estacado."_

 _The old man's eyes widened in what seemed to be a mix of disbelief, shock, anger and regret._

" _I see… I'm Jackie Estacado."_

 _The world went silent. For a minute, no one said a word._

"… _I am so sorry for this kid, I really am. But you'd thank me."_

 _And from the man had burst tendrils and beasts of one's worst nightmare, before the man himself was replaced by a green humanoid that seemed to focus on him and him alone._

" _ **KILL THEM ALL. THEY CAN'T LEAVE HERE ALIVE."**_

 _The men who had accompanied this old man unleashed a hail of bullets, which Hachi and Wenders were quick to return while Apachi tried to escort Yang and Ying out of harm's way._

 _Just then, Eddie was taken by a goblin like creature that slashed at his wrist making him drop his gun just as the transformed old man charged at Hachi. Eddie was quick to push his old friend out of harm's way_

" _Eddie!" Hachi called out in worry as her boss tried to hold back the creature._

" _HACHI, GET EVERYOE OUT!" Her boss and friend commanded, only to be punched into a wall by the transformed boss._

" _BOSS!" The twins shouted in worry, and joined Hachi in unloading an entire clip into_

" _I SAID FUCKING RUN!" Eddie commanded as he began to use martial arts to deal with the goons that ad rushed him, ignoring the punches and bullets that entered his form._

" _Hachi, we need to go!" Apachi shouted as he hoisted the bawling and screaming twins over his shoulders. The two teens were begging for their boss to leave with them._

" _R-R-Right now!" Wenders snapped as he hot-wired a car, tears stinging his eyes._

 _Hachi shot Eddie a tearful glance before shooting one more thug and joining her comrades in flee._

" _YOU BETTER MAKE IT OUT!" Hachi ordered her boss as she called for the copter to pick them up. The five managed to get the car started and raced away, but not fast enough._

" _ **NO ONE LEAVES ALIVE."**_ _Jackie motioned for two snake like creatures to kill the fleeing criminals. Had his men been able to keep Eddie a little busier, he probably would've succeeded._

 _Sadly for the Darkness user, his men did not do their job good enough,_

" _NO!"_

 _Eddie leapt over the gang that had been swarming over him and slid away, grabbing a machine gun and letting the bullets fly, sighing in relief when the creatures seemed to die. His victory was short lived as the goblin creature took off his left leg off and slammed it into his head._

 _Jackie then began to cough violently and his armor suddenly began to warp. He glanced over at the younger man and made his way over, raising a clawed hand_

" _ **DID YOU LIVE A GOOD LIFE?"**_

 _Eddie angrily spat blood at the father he had never known until the day he died, getting a knife into arm and then himself forced in front of Jackie, who swung his arm to take his son's life._

 _But right as the claws ripped Eddie's throat open…the Darkness sensed something awakening. Something it hated with a passion abd had been sure would be far away…_

" _ **WITCHBLADE!"**_

 _There was a massive explosion of light and something left Jackie, forcing itself in Eddie's body._

 _That was the Great Quake._

 _WBiD_

 _When he came to, Eddie had no doubt that hours had passed. Crows flew overhead and everything hurt. He was honestly tempted to just lay and die, but the spot was too uncomfortable; cold concrete and dead bodies? If he was going to die, he'd rather be alone._

 _For what little good he thought it'd do, he tried to force himself up and get somewhere else…_

 _He had no problem doing so._

 _That was his first clue something was amiss….or rather, when he glanced down, not._

 _He had both of his legs. And his bullet wounds were healed._

" _Wha…What the…?"_

 _It hurt to talk and it stung even worse when he went to clutch his neck. Eddie looked down to see something on his neck…glancing down he could now feel a scar, freshly made and slowly healing. At the memory of the man who had caused the injury, Eddie began to look for his…no, he didn't deserve that title._

 _He found him on the ground right next to him. Dead as a mackerel. For some reason, Eddie closed Jackie's eyes without a second thought._

" _Sayonra…Tou-san."_

 _He'd then wrapped himself in a jacket and started to make his way up the shortest pile of rubble to get a good look. He did not like the sight that greeted him._

 _Everything was either submerged in water or destroyed beyond recognition. He could hear screams everywhere, but they were not his concern. He had to find Hachi, Apachi, Wenders, Yang and Ying. He prayed to Kami they had gotten away safely; whatever had happened, hopefully the copter would've gotten them away._

 _A cry suddenly stung Eddie's ears. One that he could not drown out and he quickly saw its source:_

 _A screaming baby girl in the arms of a beautiful young brunette._

 _This was not his problem, he told himself. What did he care about a crying baby and her mother? His friends…_

 _But the crying awoke something in the assassin; and against his better judgement, he made his way over to the pair._

" _Need help?"_

 _The woman held the baby closer to her, clearly not trusting him_

" _Who are you?" She demanded._

" _Eddie Estacado." He answered. "You?"_

" _..I…I don't know." She replied before glancing at the baby. "But she's Rihoko…I'm pretty sure."_

 _Eddie took another step closer, getting the baby's attention. And she stopped crying._

 _This shocked both young adults, and Eddie was further shocked when the girl placed Riko in his arms. He quickly cradled her, making a note to make this woman pay for humiliating him like…_

 _The baby then reached up and felt his chin. When his eyes met hers, she laughed and patted it._

 _A new sensation filled Eddie: a warm feeling he had never felt before. He wanted this feeling to stay forever. This little girl…._

 _This little girl…_

 _He smiled sweetly at her, before returning his attention back to the nameless woman, who was smiling at the scene yet also seemed a little jealous._

" _You said her name was Riko, right?" He asked._

" _Rihoko." She corrected before flipping open a book that had been on her. "Masane….Amaha. That's her mother's name."_

" _And are you her mother?" Eddie asked._

"… _I think so?"_

 _Eddie smiled as he returned Riko to her mother._

" _Here you go sweety, back to mommy." He then shot her a shy glance. "Masane and Rihoko Amaha. Beautiful names for beautiful women."_

 _Masane lightly punched Eddie on the shoulder_

" _Flattery will get you nowhere,"_

 _Just then a copter appeared._

WBiD

 _Eddie was soon regretting being saved._

 _As screwed up as the city was, it seemed that some police officers cared for more about maintaining their duty than helping the citizens_

 _This was why he was in an interrogation room, while Masane and Riko were among the masses being re-registered._

" _Japan has a policy against foreigners." One officer noted._

" _I'm not foreign." Eddie replied for the billionth time. "Born and raised. Mom just loved my one night stand…"_

 _He would not say that word._

" _Eddie Estacado." The other officer noted. "One of Long's dogs. What're you doing here?"_

" _Bussiness." Eddie replied._

" _Bussiness, you say?"_

" _Yes. Is ris going to take longer, I need to my…."_

" _With how screwed up things are, we need all the support….we'll let you go if you give all the yen you have on you; cards too."_

" _And tell that friend of yours to come around after the kid is asleep. She;d make a great volunteer."_

…

…

 _Oh, this changed things._

 _If these guys were legitimately doing their job, Eddie would've given them trouble but ultimately let them arrest him until Long paid his bail. He might even suggest they get some medal for doing their duty. Just because he was an assassin and hitman didn't mean the young man didn't appritaite the law._

 _But no. He hot two corrupt scumbags looking for a bribe. And saw Masane as a lay._

" _Interesting. So Japan has a no foreigners mandate, but it seems to have an open-door policy for corrupt, asshole and horndog idiots." Eddie smirked._

… _._

… _._

" _Uncuff him."_

 _Eddie forced the chair's legs into the stomach of the officer, slamming him into the wall behind him. He then leapt behind the other and wrapped his cuffs around his neck, throwing him to the floor. He then snatched the keys and undid the cuffs._

" _Arigato gents!" Eddie smirked as he dodged out of the room and locked the door. Proud of himself, he slapped dust off his arms…only to be greeted by Masane waiting for him,_

" _What happened to you?" She asked as the baby in her arms began to squirm and reach for Eddie._

" _Oh you know… mistaken identity and all that." Eddie lied. "They thought I was a gaijin or something and one of them tried to steal my wallet. Survival instincts kicked in and well….let;s just say we should probably move along."_

 _Masane snorted as Eddie playfully began to push her and Riko away from the door, clearly not buying his words._

" _City's gone to shit and cops care more about cash."_

" _Not all I assure you."_

 _The two young adults and baby turned to see an older gentleman in a trenchcoat with a gun and badge on full display._

" _Hey chief." Eddie noted_

" _Eddie?" The older man asked in shock before a smile crossed his face…just as the two officers broke down the door and slammed Eddie into a wall_

" _Oh, felt that one!" Eddie smirked, pointing to the chief of police. The two then realized what they were doing and opened their mouths to explain, but were silenced by a glare._

" _Let him go."_

" _But chief!"_

" _NOW!"_

 _Eddie rubbed the sting out of his cheek as the two officers were escorted out for martialling. Masane made her way over to Eddie, concern in her eyes._

" _You okay?" She asked, Riko cooing as well._

" _Nothing I can't handle." Eddie assured her before the chief handed him an envelope._

" _A message from Long." He explained as the man ripped open the envelope. "They're all safe."_

 _Eddie's eyes welled with tears and he collapsed to the ground, burying his eyes in his hands_

" _Oh thank kami."_

 _Once Eddie was finally re-registered, he searched for Masane and Riko at the emergency shelter. But, as it turned out, Riko found him._

" _ah!" She cooed._

 _Eddie, getting a knowing nod from Masane, took the baby into his arms._

" _Hello, little cutie!" He cooed. "Who's the cutest baby in the world? You! Yes, you are!"_

 _Masane smiled at the sight…before she felt someone pinch her butt. Without a second thought, she grabbed the perv's…important place, making Eddie cover Riko's eyes as he inwardly felt sorry for the creep and made a not to never tick Masane off._

" _Say the magic words." Masane smirked as she clutched the man's family jewels, the baby in her arms giggling along with Eddie, who motioned the man to do as she demanded._

" _Sorry!"_

 _Masane released him and then took Riko back, cooing and poking her cheeks. She then offered Eddie a hand as they began to look for something. Eddie took her hand…._

 _And that was when he realized it: He was in love._

WBiD

 **Present Day**

"Daddy?"

A familiar voice brought Eddie out of his musing; he was still in the bath-house and his fingers were beginning to wrinkle.

"Daddy?" The voice repeated, another joining her

"Baby, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah!" Eddie realized, rushing to grab the bucket and his towel. "I'll be out in a sec, sweeties!"

WBiD

Later that night, the couple put their daughter in bed before them.

"She's so beautiful." Masane smiled gently as she moved a stray hair from her sleeping daughter's face.

"Just like her mother." Eddie noted, kissing his wife on the cheek. She quickly returned the gesture before their lips met.

Masane was then shocked when Eddie took her into his arms bridal style and carried her into the bathroom….but a knowing smiled crossed her face.

The two made passionate love in the shower before joining their daughter, now both having motivation to get another mattress when they went shopping the next day,

 **To be continued….**


	4. Family

**Raising Family**

The vibrating of his phone on the night-stand awoke Eddie, much to his dismay. Quickly and quietly, he reached over, enjoying the feeling and sight of Masane holding him close.

"Yea?" He asked half-awake.

"We need you down at the docks an hour ago." Hachi said. "Problem with the crew and shipment."

Perhaps it was the post-lovemaking haze, or the sight of Masane and Riko sleeping peacefully. Perhaps he was just plain lazy for once. Whatever the reason, Eddie did not want to do this

"Can't this wait?" He begged. "Got big plans for tomorrow."

"Why do you think we're only telling you now?" Yang sighed. "It's Fuzen."

Eddie sighed as he ran his hand over his exasperated face. That name alone made this whole thing 10 times worse than it already was.

"Fucking….Kami damned…Fine. I'll be there in two shakes."

He gave Masane and Riko kisses on the forehead before slipping into his working attire and sticking a note onto the mirror:

' _I'll be home for breakfast, then we'll go shopping.'_

He then slipped his gun under his coat's right breast pocket and made his way to the door.

"Daddy?"

Eddie froze mid-stride and looked over his shoulder; Riko was half-awake, her attention focused on him.

"Hey baby-girl." He cooed, pushing some of her hair out of her face after he'd made his way back to check on her. "What's up?"

"Where are you going?" She asked, rubbing some sleep out of her eye.

"Something came up at work." Eddie half-lied. "Don't worry, it'll be quick. Go back to sleep and I'll be back when you open your eyes."

"You promise?" The little girl asked with a sleepy smile.

"I promise."

Riko yawned again and laid back with her mother. Eddie gave his two loves one more kiss on the forehead before he left.

WBiD

Just as Hachi had told him, it was a shipment related problem. And as usual, it was on the part of that damn Fuzen.

Touji Fuzen was an ambitious and arrogant member of the Yakuza. Born into money and making even more of it through crime, he had been a smuggling client/ aide until the Big Quake, where he'd taken over a large part of shipments routes and sectors.

And he never wasted an opportunity to remind those around him of this. He was slickly dressed to match his slick personality: Touji surrounded himself with bodyguards and items that would cost Eddie at least half of his paycheques.

Why did he and Eddie hate each other? No one knew or cared. But when the Darkness user pulled up to the port and saw his gang in argument with the mad, he realized that things were about the same as they had been when he'd left."

"Ah, Edward." Touji noted. "It has been far too long."

"Eddie." The assassin corrected him as he usually did. "What's the big deal this time? I can think of at least 10 things I'd rather be doing right now, sleeping being involved with at least 6 of them."

"Ah yes, my belated congratulations on your marriage."

That took Eddie for a spin and put him on high alert. Touji was being nice? Not a good sign.

"How did you…?" Yang started

"It's my business to know, boy. Again, my sincerest blessings. She is such a lovely woman." The shipping boss mused. "Pity she ended up with a thug like you."

Yang and Ying growled, but Eddie kept his emotions reined in and held up a hand to stop them.

"I was just lucky." He admitted, motioning his 'rival' to lead them to the source of his need to be here.

"Shame she'll never know what a real man is like." Touji smirked. "Then again, with a form like she has, I imagine she does at least know how to please.

Okay, that pushed The Darkness user's buttons.

' _ **YOU GOING TO RIP HIM APART THIS TIME?'**_

' _I just might.'_

"Just get to the point, Fuzen." He demanded. "We can both agree that the less we see of each other the better."

The ship that had come in was carrying a large shipment or drugs and weapons, all pre-paid.

"It really is nothing for the old man to have called you over for." Fuzen mused. "Just a pound or two and a couple of bottles missing, nothing that cannot be made up in other ventures."

"Long-Sama doesn't seem to think so." Eddie mused, emphasizing his boss' title. "According to the info Apachi gave me on the way over, this has become a recurring thing."

"T-things b-b-been d-d-d-down in this p-p-part of the w-w-w-woods." Wenders noted, a serious look on his face.

"Oh I don't know about that." Fuzen mused as he sat on a box. "I'd say we're doing quite well."

"Of course you would, wouldn't you? We used to control EVERY transaction in New Tokyo, now we're getting swindled by the nickel and dimers on the street." Eddie pointed out, Hachi and Apachi nodding in agreement. "That doesn't strike me as 'quite well.'"

"All respect, Estacado…" Touji smiled, no respect clear. "You been….out of the picture, for a long time. That and business was never your trade. I've been making the Yakuza a great deal of money since the Great Quake. So great in fact, that Long trusts me to handle expansion and deduction. Now, why don't you go home and leave me to make sure things go according to plan?"

Edie's brow furrowed.

"You wouldn't know a plan if it was pounded up your ass with a jackhammer and took a shit down your intestines."

"That's an image…" Ying muttered under her breath, Hachi irking in disgust along with her.

"Ah, Touji." Yang pointed out, taking out some product and shining a special light on it. "The light should have turned this as blue as a bruise. Shit's been cut."

And the confidence the man had been showcasing vanished.

"Are you shitting me?" The man demanded a thug who was unloading. "Fuck. Well, it isn't happening on my end."

"Of course it's not." Eddie sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Touji? How long have we known each other? Four, five years?

"At least four." Touji mused.

"We've had drinks together, swapped dirty jokes." Eddie noted, getting a nod.

"Like just earlier?" Fuzen mused with a smirk. "Again, you are a lucky bastard, Estacado. What I wouldn't give to have a woman like that bend…"

A gun clicked and met his forhead.

"Choose. Your next words. Carefully." Eddie growled. "You pompous money-humper."

Hachi and Wenders suddenly pulled out pistols shot two of the bodyguards before aiming at their boss.

"Did you really think you could cheat Long-sama?" Eddie asked.

Touji didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

"Yang found out something interesting from our Columbian friends." Ying cheered as she played with one of the dead bodies, her eyes sparkling with adoration towards her brother. "Wanna guess?"

"W-While E-E-Eddie was g-g-gone, you started to take an extra p-per-percentage." Wenders frowned.

"…And we should care, why?" Fuzen mused, his confidence returning.

"Apachi?" Eddie asked his largest friend.

"Yeah?"

"How long was I gone?" Eddie asked

"Six years, two months and a week." Apachi answered perfectly.

"Two shipments a week, each shipment worth about 6 million, give or take, six years….How much does that equal?"

Apachi motioned his old friend/ boss to lean in.

"This much."

Eddie's eyes widened at the number his friend whispered, then furrowed.

"Um…guys?"

They looked over to see Ying pointing at a window on the boat.

"You…might want to see this."

The fact that she was reluctant to bring this to their attention put them on edge, as did Fuzen's reluctance.

"Edward, you'd have to understand that as a businessman, you have to provide what customers want.."

"Not with Lo.."

Eddie's words vanished from his mouth.

Inside the room was, there was a mass of children, none of them older than Rihoko. Many had tearstained cheeks and bruises.

…..

….

"Hit the lights." Eddie commanded.

His gang seemed reluctant to do so, and this made Fuzen raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Eddie, let's think about this." Hachi begged.

'Yeah, we can just call Long-sama and…"

"Cover that window. And hit. The. Lights." He repeated.

Ying gulped, but did as her boss ordered. Hachi and the others followed before dashing away.

And with that, Eddie was out, both in terms of being there and away from the sight of all.

" **FOOLISH, PATHETIC LITTLE MAN."** The Darkness chuckled all around Touji and his men. **"YOU THINK YOURSELF A GRAND KING USURPING ANOTHER KINGDOM. YOU ARE BUT A FLEA CHALLENGING A DRAGON… NO, A GOD. AND FOR YOUR ARROGANCE I GET TO PLAY."**

The familiar tendrils and snake-like creatures suddenly burst from the darkness, splitting one man in half and tearing out the larynx of another. Another did the infamous 'chest-buster' scene from Alien proud as a pair of clawed hands emerged and smacked or punched heads off.

The men began to understandably panic and toss anything that they could get their hands on. Some tried to flee, but feel to the ground dead before taking a few steps.

"Been nice knowing ya, Touji!" Ying cooed from her hiding space as a humanoid form began to materialize in front of Fuzen.

The Darkness then let itself known to all, and Touji grabbed a gun and unloaded an entire clip into the demon that had replaced his rival. The creature simply chuckled as it made its way to Fuzen, its tentacles and the Darklings having all the fun.

The man pulled out his gun and emptied the contents into his attacker's face.

" **OH, NOW THAT'S ADOREABLE. YOU THINK YOUR LITTLE GUN CAN HURT ME."**

The Darkness ripped the arm off the arrogant man and smacked him with it before using his snakes to remove the man's leg and letting him fall to the ground before delivering a brutal punch to the stomach that made him cough up blood.

Eddie was now back. He whipped out his pistol and sent the arrogant man to the floor then whipping out another gun and aiming at the crowd of surviving/ smart enough to hide henchmen.

"Now…where is the money?"

"The bank on 2nd!" Touji confessed, tears streaking his face. "I have an account, take it all!"

"Oh Long-sama will." Eddie assured the grovelling man, gagging him with the barrel of his gun. "And that's all he'll take. But me? I seem to recall your lewd comments about my wife…What were your words again? Going to make her bend over and take it, was it?"

Touji tried to deny, but Eddie, his eyes taking a yellow hue, manifested his clawed hand and tore off what made the man at his mercy a man.

"Hard to do that now huh?" Eddie smiled, then pulling the trigger. And soon he was without one less hated person.

The workers were now rounded up, his subordinates holding their guns to their heads in anticipation of the order.

"Waste anyone with no family. Have the rest report to Long-sama to decide their punishment." He ordered Hachi and Wenders, who nodded

"And the kids?" Apachi asked

"Return the ones with families to their homes. Time-locked scholarships and secret trust funds for the rest."

It wasn't much, but it was the best Eddie could do and it'd keep the kids safe. The Darkness user returned to his car in low spirits and, remembering his own daughter, made a few stops.

WBiD

"Guess who brought breakfast…!"

Masane and Riko stirred at Eddie's tone-deaf voice singing happily as he plopped down a coffee-holder and two bags of food.

"I got coffee, milk, juice, apples, miso, rice balls, pork and bean buns…!"

Riko gave her daddy a big hug and helped herself to some breakfast. Eddie made his way over to Masane, offering her a bottle of milk as she held the blanket to her form.

"Good morning, beautiful." He smiled.

"Good morning, handsome." She cooed, giving him a kiss before accepting her favorite drink. "What has you up so early?"

"Just a little trouble at the office." He told her as Riko handed her parents each a bowl of soup and bun each. "Nothing to worry about. On the bright side, I have one less a…"

He remembered his daughter was in the room and tried to come up with a kid appropriate word.

"….jerk to deal with, and you ladies get me and my wallet all day today." He recovered. "Now, you eat up while I take a shower, I'll meet you downstairs."

WBiD

Yusuke Tozawa was not in a good mood. He had no leads on the pulveriser-murderers, had spent the last few days in a jail cell with the cold sweats…needless to say he was exhausted when he finally got back, and not in the mood to do anything expect eat.

He then noticed Rihoko was still at the café.

"You still hiding?"

"My parents and I moved in just yesterday." The little girl explained as her mother joined her after texting Eddie to hurry up or they'd leave without him. She tehn spied the man who ahd helped her baby out and went over to thank him.

"Thank you so much." She said genuinely with a bow. "I'm Rihoko's mother. My husband should be down shortly, but I really can't thank you enough. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Melony." The half-awake journalist mused.

"…Melony?" Masane asked, as Mari and her daughter began to laugh.

"That's a good one…" The owner smirked.

"Cause your bobbies are big like melons!" Riko giggled along with Mari.

"Rihoko Amaha…" Eddie chastised his daughter making her feel sorry about laughing at Masane. "That's no way to talk to your mother…even if it is an accurate nickname."

The air went cold and Masane suddenly glared at her husband.

"….I said that last bit out loud, didn't I?" Eddie realized.

Everyone nodded, before Yusuke's eyes shot open.

"Hey, I remember you! You're the chick who disappeared from her jail cell!"

" _ **A WITNESS!"**_ The Darkness called with his mind. " _ **SILENCE HIM!"**_

' _Not here, too many witnesses and Riko's awake!'_ Eddie reminded his power. _'Sides, he probably doesn't even know half of what we know…."_

That being said, Eddie did not like how this man seemed to have more of an idea of how Masane had gotten to Doji then his own wife, as he began to question her about what had happened the night she had escaped, making her and Riko uncomfortable. He was just about to get violent (which he felt he was completely in the right to do) when this punk had the gall to grab his wife by the shoulder

"Hands off! I already answered your question. I didn't see anything. And you!" Masane pointed to the Darkness user, making him cringe before raising an eyebrow when he saw her smiling. "Did you enjoy last night?"

A smile crossed Eddie's face as he remembered last night; hot water pouring down naked forms, lips locked, hands tracing, noses nuzzling, the uttering of the best four letter word in the universe…

Oh yes, he did enjoy last night. So he nodded.

"Good." She then motioned to her form, a smile on her face. "Because this?"

Eddie nodded in understanding.

"You're not getting any of it for a week."

There was literally a shattering in the air as Eddie's jaw dropped and he felt smething inside him break. If his life were an anime, this is where all color would vanish from his form, a dark cloud would float over him and he'd burst into tears as a violin played.

"Come on baby, we'll hail a cab." Masane announced as she gave Riko her hand. Her daughter followed after demanding Yusuke stop harassing her mother, who, just to remind Eddie, made a few of her steps sensual.

With those steps, all humorous depression left and Eddie glared at Yusuke with all the hate in his form. If looks could kill, the journalist would've fried, decapitated, eviscerated, chopped up, fried, flung into space, devoured, passed….and those were just the first ideas that passed through the assassin's mind.

"The signs point to bad times…" Naomi noted

But the assassin had priorities, so his vengeance/ hate fuelled fantasies would have to wait. But he sated his anger with a growl:

"You better hope no one ever puts a bounty on your ass."

He then marched out of the building after dropping a wad of cash onto the bar, the kanji for rent on top.

….

…

"Did I….?" Yuske started

"YOU JUST COCK-BLOCKED A MAN!" Mr. Chou shouted. "A man with a hot wife! And a kid!"

"The signs point to bad times…" Namoi repeated herself, this time for all to hear. "Watch your back….watch your back!"

And suddenly the oldest resident was glad Eddie seemed to tolerate him at the least….as was Mari when she saw Eddie had dropped enough cash for a whole year's rent.

WBiD

Shopping was something Eddie normally dreaded, even more so once he married Masane.

Back when he was a bachelor, Eddie had lived relatively cheap; he ate mostly ramen or cheap sushi if he felt like splurging, and his alcohol intake was limited to whenever Long-sama had him perform bodyguard duty. Give him tea anytime and he'd be happy. He'd go to the cheapo theatre for second-run movies if he wanted to catch a flick, and made use of libraries for reading materials.

Upon marriage, he was introduced to the terror that was clothes shopping, accessorizing and other things.

But he was happy for this shopping excursion for the sole reason of it being the first time in a long time he and his two girls would be together.

First, they'd shopped for kitchen utensils, with Riko taking charge of that department and headings straight for the knives.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Eddie stopped his daughter. ""Nuh uh, little missy! You may be the chef, but you are NOT handling anything sharper than a pot-lid! I'll take care of this, you help mom find the other things we need."

"But dad…" Riko started.

"Sweetie, daddy grew up in a place where sharp metal was as common as birds in trees." Eddie assured his baby girl. "I think I know a thing or two about knives."

To say nothing of just how he got all the money he and his girls were now blowing.

"Let daddy handle this one, baby." Masane cooed, pointing to some other necessities. "You can help me find the rest."

With some reluctance, Riko took her father's word and moved to inspect pans, eventually choosing a good set. She also approved the set of knives Eddie had chosen.

Then they did the bit Eddie hated the most; clothes shopping.

"Ta da!" Masane stepped out in a jogging suit that had caught her eye. "So? Thoughts?"

….

….

No. Just….no. Eddie paid no attention to fashion, but even HE knew that those clothes did not work with his wife.

"Forget it, I'll pick something." Riko crossed her arms in disapproval, her father nodding in agreement before she turned her attention to him. "And daddy? Please try and find something that's not green."

"No promises." Eddie stated. He ended up buying a couple of white button-up shirts, some dark pants and a t-shirt or two.

The family then explored a bit before Masane made a….personal stop. A stop that made Eddie cringe and spin around to avoid eye contact with the store.

"Daddy, why are you not looking?" Riko asked her father

"Because a gentleman does not stare at or enter such a place!" Eddie said a little quicker than he should've, fighting the urge to peek at the store's contents and imagine his wife wearing any of it's products.

Hey, it was one thing to enjoy the sight while making love or at the beach (on that note, he made a note to schedule a beach date for him and Masane). It was something else entirely different and wrong to just stare. That, and it made him remember the men who had stared at his mother.

Besides, his baby girl was there and he didn't want to risk Masane extending his punishment any longer.

"I'm sorry," The clerk apologized after taking Masane's size. "But we don't carry a size that large."

Masane let out a sigh

"Guess I could go without it…"

"No way!" Riko ordered, voicing Eddie's thoughts as crossing her arms in disapproval again. "They'll sag."

' _I should be worried that my 6 year old daughter knows that…._ ' Eddie mused. ' _But I'm too relieved to care.'_

They ended up finding a close enough replacement before heading over to a megastore, passing thtough the toys and entertainment section.

"Oh, can I get this?" Masane asked as she held up a stuffed animal that had caught her eye.

"Put it back." Riko said without looking as she pushed the cart along

"Put it in the bottom." Eddie whispered. "I'll distract her."

True to his word, Eddie patted Riko's shoulder and pointed at a DVD set of her favorite TV show.

"I did say any three things you wanted…." He reminded her, feigning reluctance when she saw the 'high' price.

"Please, daddy?" Riko begged hopefully. "Please, please, please? I'll make sukiyaki for dinner tonight!"

Eddie had already put the set in and was smiling at his daughter.

"While I would like that, let's take it easy and order in one more night, okay baby?" He cooed, getting an enthuastic hug from Riko. With the grace and ease of a good parent, he picked her up and went to join his wife in another aisle.

The family then stocked up on toilet paper and towels, window shopped for a pet to get later on and explored the rest of the mall. Eddie managed to treat himself to a few good books on sale, and spied that Masane had slipped in something rather…risqué into her purchases, filling him with hope her will in keeping his punishment was failing….

A few hours later, the trio sat down at the food court. The two parents were exhausted beyond words and more than happy to take a late lunch/early dinner, but Riko remembered something they'd forgotten:

"I forgot aprons! Be right back!"

"Take daddy's card!" Eddie weakly raced after his daughter, making sure she could actually pay for what she needed before returning to his wife.

"Where do kids get all that energy?" She asked

"And when or why do we lose it?" He replied.

A cup of coffee was then placed in front of them

"Care for some?"

Yusuke then invited himself and explained that he was a journalist looking for a big scoop to be his meal-ticket, and he was pretty sure he had found it, placing something onto the table.

It was a picture of Masane in her Witchblade form

" _ **HE KNOWS…..!"**_ The Darkness smirked, giddy at the prospect of its host going on a slaughter-fest. But it was paid no mind.

Eddie paid the conversation his wife and the journalist were hving little mind, his anger at being relieved of his husbandly duties clouding his mind. This anger only increased when Yusuke unknowingly called Masane's Witchblade form a monster

' _You call it a monster.'_ He thought as he decided to get invovled. ' _I call it beautiful.'_

"Hey, asshole." Eddie snapped. "Don't forget about me."

Yusuke broke away from questioning Masane to see the other person at the table.

"Pete?" He asked. "What happened to you hair?"

"You mistake me for my baby brother." The Darkness user glared at the man, making his hate for him clear. He was more than tempted to at least slash his face off when a familiar voice brought him out of his fantasies.

"Eddie?"

The trio looked over to see Riko being escorted back to the table, a bag of aprons in one hand and the other in the free hand of a familiar face.

"Hey mom, hey dad!" The little girl beamed. "I got us all matching aprons and ran in to uncle Petey!"

Masane ignored Yusuke to examine her daughter's purchases, rubbing her end.

"Hey Pete." Eddie smiled at seeing his half-brother again. "Thought you said you'd be working."

"I am." Peter explained, pointing to the two women that joined him. "This is Hope Pezzini and Cyan Fitzgerald."

The two women that ahd accompanied Peter seemed to focus their attention on Eddie, which made the darkness user go on the edge

"So, you're Eddie Estacado?" Hope asked, taking a sip from her own coffee and getting a nod in response as she bent down to get a good look at him. "Huh. You have his eyes, only….gentler."

"..Whose?" Eddie asked.

"My dads. Jackie Estacado. We have the same father."

 **To be continued….**

 **Read and review would ye kindly?**

 **This was supposed to be in chapter 3, but I figured that with Eddie's backstory, it was better to give this its own chapter.**

 **Next time, the first fights start, Eddie learns a little about his father and a familiar face shows up. Hint; the Darkness II game trailer. And the NSWF might lose a prominent member while the Amahas gain a powerful ally.**

 **Keep reading on and be safe**


	5. Revalations 1

**Revelations pt. 1**

" _We have the same father."_

The silence had been deafening for a full minute. The minds of the Amaha went blank with the sudden reveal, and Peter dropped the bags he had been holding, not caring at all about repercussion he could face.

"I have a sister?" Eddie asked, breaking the silence.

"You have a brother?" Cyan asked

"I have an auntie?" Rihoko asked, suddenly anxious around the woman who had allowed her uncle to buy her aprons for her. At those words, it became Hope's turn to be shocked.

"I….I have a niece?" She asked, giving Riko a surprised but ultimately warm look.

"What the hell is going on here?" Yusuke asked in complete confusion

"Language!" Masane and Eddie said together, pointing to Riko. The photographer retreated into his seat before excusing himself, making a mental note to not only figure out what 'Melony' knew about the monster, but what Peter's relationship to the guy who made it clear he'd kill him in a heartbeat was.

Those where the questions that kept going back and forth in the minds of all.

"Proof?"

That snapped everyone out of their thoughts.

"Uh… beg pardon?" Hope asked.

"Do you have any proof?" Eddie demanded

Hope produced a piece of paper from her purse; a birth certificate that showed what Eddie both feared and (more deep down then he would ever admit) wanted to see: There, written plain as day, was his….genetic donor's name

"I know this probably a huge shock to you…"

"Understatement of the century…" Peter muttered under his breath, only to be glared at an inch away slightly.

Meanwhile, Eddie began to recall his one and only encounter with….that man. The man had bred?! He'd had a daughter? Who seemed sane? And to love him?

He wasn't sure whether to be terrified or jealous of this woman, but panic began to fill his form.

"Ed, look." Hope said, trying to calm him down. "I just want to talk…"

"Not here, not now." Eddie said, barley keeping his composure as the world began to spin.

"Daddy?" Riko asked

Seeing his little girl looking at him in concern, the Darkness user weakly patted her head as he stood up

"I need air." Eddie hurriedly noted, making his way out of the food-court and to the doors that lead outside to the parkade. Once there, he began to hyperventilate his stress away, although he didn't fail to notice that the Darkness was very quiet during all of this; an ample opportunity to mock him.

Meanwhile, back at the table, Hope reached back into her purse and pulled out a scrap of paper, which she handed to Masane.

"Here's my hotel room number." Hope sighed. "He can come by any time before 8 in the evening."

She then eyed the bracelet on Masane's wrist

"Interesting little jewelry you got there." She noted, surprising Masane. "Where'd you get it?"

The mother tried to choose her words carefully, bit was cut off by Hope adding:

"You see, I only ask because my mother had a very similar one until a couple of years back. In fact, this looks exactly like it…"

Masane began to feel very uncomfortable, which was not helped when Hope leaned down to whisper

"You don't deserve the Witchblade….but it chose you for some reason. Call me when you want more than what Douji and them can or will tell you."

She then leaned back and smiled as if nothing had happened, turning to Peter and Cyan with a gentler one.

"I think we should call it a day, don't you?"

"Actually, I'd like to…" Cyan started, only to be pulled away by her friend.

"Nice to see you again, Riko!" Peter smiled sweetly at his niece, who waved back, although her focus was more on her shocked looking mother and glancing over to where her father had dashed off.

"Mom?" Riko asked, bringing Masane out of her confused and shocked trance. "I-Is everything okay?"

Maternal instincts kicked in and Masane took her daughter into a hug.

"Everything's fine, sweetie." Masane cooed before shooting Hope's vanishing form a glare. "Just….a little overwhelming…."

She then remembered the reason her daughter had left the food court

"Why don' you show me those aprons you bought?"

WBiD

The drive home was a quiet one and Riko was happy that her parents decided to ordered in once more; her father just sat on the couch, his mind so wrapped up that he almost missed her going up to hug him. With a weak smile, Eddie pulled her in closer and kissed her forehead as she put on the first DVD in the set he'd bought her.

To Masane, who spied the scene from the window as she held the stuffed animal Eddie had nought for her this afternoon had brought up so many more questions about her husband's past.

She was beginning to guess why Eddie had never mentioned Peter; something about a falling out before he met her that was no doubt incredibly personal and probably had something to do with their late mother. And she knew that Hope being his half-sister was a surprise to him as well, so he wasn't keeping another secret from her…at least in regards to family.

She realized that there was a surprising long list of secrets attached to her husband; a mysterious yet extremely well-paying job he was reluctant to share with her, working under one of the most powerful men in New Tokyo, demonic superpowers he inherited from his never mentioned father, a half-brother he clearly still cared for even if they had grown apart and however he knew the members of the Douji she worked for.

And that rose an excellent question:

How well did she know her husband?

She did not regret marrying Eddie however; on top of seeing her for her (rather than her attractive form) and adoring Riko, Eddie clearly thought that his family was the most important thing in the world. She remembered that once, when money had been short and Riko was sick, Eddie had starved himself just so that they could get medicine and he could feed both her and their daughter.

The door was suddenly knocked on, and Masane dashed go answer it. She was surprised to see Hachi, Apachi, Wenders, Yang and Ying standing outside and holding enough supplies for a party.

"Pete called and told me what happened." Hachi explained. "We wanted to check on you guys."

Eddie, with Riko in his arms, saw his subordinates standing outside

"H-h-how you h-h-holding up, b-b-bro?" Wenders asked, carrying an assortment of recyclable plates, utensils and a few posters.

Eddie didn't reply.

"Ice cream?" Ying suggested as she revealed a whole drum's worth of Neapolitan.

"Pizza?" her brother followed as he tried to look over the five or six boxes in his arms.

"Movies?" Apachi added, pulling out an assortment of DVDs before spying what was on. "Oh. Never mind."

Hachi, the only one not carrying something, made her way in front of her childhood friend and, once Riko had moved out of her father's arms, gave him a hug.

Most would be jealous of seeing another woman hug their husband, but Masane knew Hachi was trying to comfort her best friend.

"If you guys are trying to get a raise…" Eddie noted after Hachi had pulled back. "You succeeded."

They denied that was the cause, and all in the room knew it was true. With that, they sat down to enjoy a feast.

"So…" Hachi asked. "…Was she hot?"

"Really?!" Eddie asked in a mix of annoyance and rage, although he was clearly smiling and amused by the question. "You ask that now?"

"What?" Hachi asked. "It's a legitimate question and concern; you may not get me…"

"I remind you Riko is here." Eddie pointed to his daughter, who was too engrossed in her ice cream to notice

"…you are pretty good lucking for a guy." Hachi smirked, shooting Masane a knowing look.

"What about Naomi?" Masane asked

"Oh, she's cute, I don't deny that." Hachi defended herself. "But to shy for girlfriend material. I like someone with a fire."

"What's that mean?" Riko asked

"It means she likes someone like your mommy." Yang smiled.

"So can I…?" Hachi started.

"No." Eddie cut her off

"You didn't let me finish!"

"Didn't have to. I may barely know her, but she is my sister, so she's off limits!"

"You never let me have fun!"

"For good reason! Remember 8th grade?"

"YOU PROMISED WE'D NEVER BRING THAT UP AGAIN!"

The family and friends had a wonderful time, lasting late into the night. Wender began to decorate the room with the various posters he had brought over from Eddie's old apartment; all very tasteful paintings that lit up the room.

Masane insisted that they stay the night, not caring about Mari's 'no overnight visitors' rule.

WBiD

A few hours later, Masane had been awoken by a job. She had destroyed the X-con no problem, but then the two Cloneblades she'd met two nights ago attacked her. She fought back to little avail, and soon was beginning to feel weak after being dealt a blow to her chest.

Just as the blue Cloneblade was about to finish her off, a bullet ricocheted off Lady's blade

"Hogging a fight, Masane?"

"Eddie?!" Masane asked, fear for her husband's safety filling her…before she remembered their fight in the underground city.

"Good evening, ladies." Eddie smiled, not a care in the world clear. "Might I ask that you kindly let my wife go?"

The two women looked at him like he was crazy

"Move before you fall like every other man before you." The blue one smirked, slamming her blade onto him…only to see him behind her and firing at her partner, who attempted the same and got some of his hair and nicked his arm

"See?" the blue one smirked. "just like every other man."

"Lady…there are NO men like me." Eddie smirked as his eyes became sickly yellow and a black tornado surrounded.

Despite the wound, Masane chuckled

"Oh ho ho…Big boy's coming out to play."

She would've attempted to get upright and join the battle, but the wound caught up with her and she began to black out.

" **ABOUT FUCKING TIME!"** The Darkness declared. **"I SWEAR, THIS PUNK ONLY BRINGS ME OUT WHE…."**

It then saw the situation Eddie had let it get involved in.

….

….

" **WHERE. THE. FUCK. DID. YOU. BITCHES. GET. THOSE?"**

When they didn't answer, the Darkness let out an enraged roar, which shook the entire city and shattered every window within a three miles radius. Everyone who heard or felt the roar started praying to every deity and power they knew of just as the Darkness summoned a demonic hand to put the two on the defensive.

" **ONE IS ENOUGH OF A PAIN MY SEMI-EXISTING ASS, NOW YOU STUPID WASTES OF EXISTENCE ARE TRYING TO MAKE MORE OF THEM?! THIS IS WHY I HATE YOU…"**

Shiori and Reina took advantage of the creature's rant to dodge the arm and run it through. They smiled confidentially, until they realized something:

It did not look even remotely affected. Scratch that, it was affected; but it was bored and or irritated.

"… **..IS THAT IT?"** The Darkness asked. **"THAT'S ALL YOU CAN DO? THIS IS THE EXTENT OF YOUR POWER?"**

It was at this point that the two Neogenes realized that this was a battle that they would by lucky to leave alive, as their opponent's form suddenly became far more malicious. The arm disappeared back into the Darkness before it delivered a kick to Lady's chin, sending her flying

"Doctor!"

" **I'D WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF."**

Shiori found herself on the defensive, dodging snake like creatures before the creature's eyes and voice changed, becoming more human.

"NOW!"

A smoke bomb erupted and Masane was quickly put into a Douji medical van.

WBiD

Shiori raced after the van that held the Witchblade bearer, ignoring anything that got in her way. Inside said, van, the medics tried to heal Masane and avoid the thoughts of being killed by a Neogene that was gaining onto them.

Just before the Neogene raced her target, the honking of a car made her look upwards. She barely had tome to leap back as a Lamborghini suddenly blocked the way to her prize; a Lamborghini that held not only the man who had turned into that strange being, but also a very tall and muscular man at the wheel, a very nervous and jittery man beside him, and a cute woman with blonde hair and a briefcase glaring at her.

"Just keep going!" Apachi commanded to the van in front. "We'll keep her busy!"

The Douji staff didn't have to be told twice and booked it to safety. Shirori tried to leap over and attack, but Eddie leapt up to greet her with two guns he practically emptied trying to shoot at her.

"Shame we got to do this…" Hachi mused as she put a weapon together. "She has a great one."

"C-can you f-f-f-focus on kicking ass ins-s-stead of kissing it?" Wenders snapped as he ducked under the hail of bullets before he saw what his old friend was making.

"W-w-w-wait! I-is that a gr-grenade launcher?"

"No." Hachi grumbled as she took aim. "Bazooka."

"Oh."

….

….

….

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Hachi paid him no mind as she aimed right in front of her as Eddie and Shiori returned to the ground.

"FIRE IN THE WHOLE!"

The bazooka flew through the air, but Shiori continued her chase, simply cutting through the bazooka and racing through the smoke and fire.

"…I think I'm in love." Hachi mused dreamily.

"NOT THE TIME!" Wenders shouted in annoyance and fear. "ED! T-THAT RAISE AIN'T ENOUGH!"

Eddie glanced over his shoulder to see the van his wife was in was now out of sight and he was out of bullets. He then realized that they were on an overpass and down below was nothing but development projects.

"Apachi, take over and get to Masane." Eddie commanded his giant of a friend as he moved closer to Hachi.

"Wait Ed, what're you…?"

The man then jumped out of the van and let Darkness take cover his form again, ramming into the powerful Neogene and taking them off the road. The two fighters exchanged brutal punches and slashes as they fell, with Shiori laughing at this human's strength while Eddie seemed to not care about the pints of blood he was starting to loose.

From within his mind, he glared at his power.

' _She's mine. Rest.'_

And for the first time in a whole, the Darkness obeyed.

" **HAVE FUN."**

The two fighters greeted the ground with a dust cloud, but Shiori's confidence began to dwindle when she saw the creature was in the man's place…although its eyes were not completely yellow; they had the outlines of a pupil.

She threw down her blade, only for it to be caught like it was a sheet of paper. Undeterred, she swung a kick, which was also blocked before the leg was wrapped up by the snake like creature that then flung her into the air. She corrected motion and managed to throw a punch which was caught. The creature did the same and she blocked accordingly.

They stayed in a grapple for a few minutes, although Shiori found she was putting far more effort than her foe.

Eddie wasn't bored of this fight. Far from it; it was nice to fight someone who could take a few hits. But this was not a fun fight. He wasn't enjoying this.

He was enraged.

" _ **YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SLASHED MY WIFE…."**_

His presence seemed to grow and Shiori suddenly felt as if she were a flea facing off against a dragon. For the first time in years, she grew shaken, then uncertain…and then afraid. She tried to break out of the grapple. But found herself being forced to her knees and her hands starting to break. With very ounce of her strength, she rammed her blade into his eye and smirked in relief of landing a hit….

Only for the eye to regenerate. Another snake the appeared and did something Shiori never thought was possible:

It bit right through her blade.

She was shocked by this long enough for Eddie to let her go before delivering a brutal series of punches that not only had her bleeding badly, but puking. She found herself slamming into and through walls as her transformation began to wear off and throughout all of this, her only thought was one word:

The Devil.

This being had to be the devil! No other explanation fit!

Eddie then landed a brutal high kick that sent the bleeding Shirori to the ground. She tried to move, but pain ruptured every part of her form; her lungs pierced and almost every bone broken.

Her opponent stood over herm eyeing her Cloneblade.

" _ **I WANT TO KILL YOU. I REALLY DO. I CAN THINK OF SO MANY WAYS TO DO SO. GUTTING, MAIMING, LETTING THE SNAKES HAVE THEIR WAY WITH YOU OR HAVING YOU SUCKED INTO A BLACK HOLE….THE POSSIBILITIES HOWEVER, MY WIFE AND SUBORIDNATES NEED ME, SO YOU'RE IN LUCK. THAT BEING SAID…"**_

She wanted to beg as his clawed hand grasped her arm and pulled her to her knees. She wanted to make a deal. But nothing came to her.

" _ **I NEED TO MAKE THE CONSQUENCES THIS A WARNING."**_

RIIIIIP!

SPLURT!

Shiori let out a scream as she lost her Cloneblade arm. She was then sent flying back to the ground when her enemy smacked her with her former limb

The last thing she saw before passing out was a humanoid figure, surrounded by screaming demons, imps and towering over not only her, but the city itself…no, not even that: this presence towered over the entire planet!

It was at that point the blood loss finally got to her.

Eddie left the woman to bleed out, not a care in the world for what could happen to her. Checking his phone, he saw a text from Yang that told him Masane was healing and awake at the Douji building.

With a sigh of relief, he began to make his way over.

" **PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO GO AFTER THEM."**

' _Why?'_

" **LIKE I SAID, ONE WITCHBLADE IS BAD ENOUGH; EVEN IF THESE COPIES AREN'T WORTH MUCH…I DO NOT WANT TO RISK HAVING TO DEAL WITH HER ANYTIME SOON."**

' _Her?'_ Eddie inquired

" **NOT IMPORTANT. WORRY ABOUT YOUR WOMAN FOR NOW."** The Darkness retorted, obviously lying. " **TRY TO CONVINCE THE OLD MAN TO GET RID OF WHEREVER THOSE WEAK ASS WHORES CAME FROM LATER. I'LL LET YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS TO ALL MY POWER…."**

' _I'll sleep on it.'_

WBiD

"Eddie." Masane frowned from her hospital bed. "We need to talk."

The Darkness user, sitting next to wife as she healed from the wound Shiori gave her, tensed at her tone: It was the 'no-nonsense' one.

"And we will." He promised weakly. "You just rest and…"

"No." Masane ordered firmly. "You have been hiding things for far too long if you really love me…!"

She paused when she realized she'd said that. The look in Eddie's eyes reassembled a kicked puppy.

"Just…please. No more dodging." She begged. "No more white-lies or half-truths. Just tell me...What do you do for a living?'

And with a heavy sigh, she finally got the answer.

"I'm an assassin for Long. He's the head of the New Tokyo Yakuza. He took me and Peter in, trained us, fed us and paid for our education."

Masane went silent

"I only kill the worst of the worst!" Her husband assured/begged her. "I have never once harmed an innocent person, especially not since meeting you and Riko! I only kill the dealers who break Long's rules, kidnappers, murderers….."

She was still silent and looked down

"Masane, please!" Eddie begged. "I…I…I should've told you, I admit it; but I…."

"I knew."

…..

….

"What?"

"I knew." Masane repeated, her face taking on a look that said 'tell me something I don't know. "…And?"

Her reaction, or lack of one, took her husband for a spin.

"Well?" She asked. "Come on, tell me."

"You…..you're taking this very well."

Masane chuckled, sitting upwards.

"Baby, I destroy robots for Douji and transform into the single most badass looking amazon because of a magic bracelet."

She then looked down bashfully.

"Plus, you're not as careful as you could be."

Eddie cringed and began to sweat.

"When?"

"Remember Riko's third birthday?" She asked him. "You went out late afterwards…"

"I had a meeting with the local chapter." He confessed, recalling that was also the night he'd asked to go part-time.

"And even though you thought I was asleep," Masane explained. "I heard you sneak in and saw you washing blood off your hands before tossing out some knives and darts. I'll give you credit for managing to put just enough of the old trash in the bag to look like nothing was wrong…"

"If…" Eddie cut her off. "If you knew…."

"I suspected." Masane corrected him. "Didn't want to assume."

"Then why?"

Masane returned to staring at him.

"Because the country was up shit creek without a paddle and you could provide for me and Riko. You made sure we had enough to eat and…"

She remembered the night he proposed to her…or rather, the now humorous and slightly embarrassing reasons that said proposal even came out, but returned to her points.

"You protected us…..and of course you and I getting married played a part."

"Mas…"

She cut him off by cupping his face into her palm and gently shushing him.

"I love you." She reminded him. "I don't care what you did, or what you do to keep me and Riko safe. As long as you come back and know what you're doing and for what reason you're doing it."

Any other woman would've never wanted to see Eddie again, she knew this. And yes, she was being selfish, caring only about him, her and their little girl. But after all the hardships they'd faced in the past six years, few would blame her.

Her husband didn't seem convinced though, so she decided to remind him of a few things:

"Now…who does Riko call daddy?"

"…Me." Eddie responded weakly.

"Who did I marry?"

"…Me." He was now smiling.

"Who got us to New Tokyo?"

"…Me."

"And who owes me a romantic and pricey dinner we both won't actually like but use as an excuse to dress up?"

That finally got a chuckle out of him.

"Me."

"There's my Eddie." She smiled

Masane then made herself stand up and ensnared her husband into a kiss, ignoring the pain from her wound as best she could

"First thing day after tomorrow." Eddie smiled. "We're giving you a crash course in combat training."

"Less talk, more smooch." Masane demanded coyly, letting her shirt slip from her shoulder.

"Yes dear."

WBiD

Shiori awoke in a darkened room, an oxygen mask on her face and tubes in her neck and remaining arm, pumping pain-killer and nutrients into her body. What was left of the stump that that….that…demon left in place of her Cloneblade had been bandaged up

"Good evening, Ms. Tsuzuki."

She turned to see an older looking man in a wheelchair, a smile on his face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living. You may call me Long-Sama. I know this probably isn't the best time, with your current status in all, but…I must inform you that you are legally deceased. Killed in a car accident, officially."

As the oxygen tube was taped to her lips in order to ensure she could breathe, Shiori could do little else but glare.

"However, knowing that conniving brat Furimizu as I do, I doubt he'll believe that and send someone to locate and eventually retrieve you. Although, once he sees you're now lacking what made you so valuable and powerful…"

He didn't need to finish. Unlike so many of the others, Shiori held no delusion as to what befell those who disappointed father; outwardly he'd briefly grieve them before remarking that they were not worth being his daughters if they died so easily. She hadn't cared at all what he thought, all she had cared about was being by her beloved Reina, be it as a faithful assistant, or in her wildest dreams, a lover.

Tears began to stream down her cheeks, and the man who had been pushing Long produced a handkerchief to clean them, shooting her an apologetic smile. Normally, she'd hate him, thinking he saw her as weak. But she was now so broken, she couldn't care.

"Now as I see it, you have two options." Long explained to her. "You can heal up and escape before being hunted down and most likely discarded or outright destroyed by the NSWF, or…"

He snapped his fingers, and a nurse rolled in a top of the line prosthetic arm. Shiori's eyes widened; while clearly not one, it resembled a WItchblade arm, and she could see surgical tools inside the arm.

"…You can come and work for my organization and do what a doctor does best. Your choice."

WBiD

It was the next morning, and Eddie had been in front of this door for an hour. After a passionate make-out session, he had dropped his wife back home so that Riko would wake up to at least one parent. Her injuries were now practically healed, although she was still planning on taking it easy, just to be safe.

So, a little after 7 in the morning with no coffee or food in his system and having not gotten any sleep, the Darkness user was starting to get cold feet about this.

" **WHIMP."**

He ignored the voice in his head before taking a final deep breath and rapping on the door. He had important business that had plagued his mind for years (even if not very strongly) and he did not plan on waiting any longer to get some answers.

"Morning, bro-bro." Hope yawned, clearly not fully awake as the coffee-pot was just beginning to brew. Eddie grimaced at the nickname but stepped into the room, where he found Cyan asleep on the couch with the TV blaring. Peter was nowhere to be seen, but Eddie knew he was fine.

Hope handed him a cup of coffee as she led him to the table, where they simply stared at each other for a few minutes. Eddie then ended the silence with five simple yet powerful words:

"Tell me about my father."

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**

 **Meant to post this and the following on Halloween, but as series of family emergencies, surprise concert delayed me, on top of job hunting and errands.**

 **Major thanks to EvaShinobiKaiserKnight for all their help in developing this story, especially the middle of this one.**

 **To make up for it, here are a series of extras:**

 **Omake/ Deleted scene #1: Eddie's other lines**

" **SO, SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, HOW ATTACHED ARE YOU TO THIS ARM?"** The Darkness asked his current victim.

"T-TEN!" Shiori shouted. "TEN!"

He then ripped the arm off and knocked her out with it.

" **NOT ANYMORE."**

XXX

" **LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING; YOU EVER WONDER WHAT AN EMPTY LIMB SOCKET FEELS LIKE?"**

He tore out the limb.

 **Omake/ Deleted scene # 2: Eddie's manliness**

"Ladies…there are NO men like me."

Before the transformation in the Darkness could take place, Shiori, feeling more than a little cocky…confident! Yes, confident that she could take this fool who was involved with the current Witchblade host, said something that would come to most fighters:

"Prove it."

The man had just looked at her, then Masane, then Lady. He then looked around the area before giving a shrug

"Okay." Eddie replied with a slight sigh.

He then unzipped his pants and let them fall to the ground, along with his underwear.

…

….

…

All three women blushed so hard a tomato would've sued them, before the two Cloneblade let out screams of shock and slight fright before turning away and quivering.

"H-HE DIDN'T HAVE SHOW THAT!"

Evidently, they were frozen in shock long enough for Eddie and Masane to escape, with the Witchblade host smirking a triumphant

' _Sorry ladies…but this hunk of man-meat taken!'_

She wasn't really sorry.

 **Have a good one!**


	6. Revalations part 2: Meetings

**Revelations pt. 2: Meetings Malicious and Meticulous**

" _Tell me about my father."_

Even though she knew it had been coming, the question caught her off guard. Hope tried to choose her words carefully, motioning her half-brother to sit down as she brewed them a cup of coffee.

"He was…complicated." She started. "Not always there, but when he was, he made me feel like I was the light of his life. Bought me way to many toys and treated me to way too much ice cream and McDonalds. So t me? He was the best daddy ever, even if he wasn't always around."

Her mood then dampened.

"But, he was cursed with the Darkness and was scared he may hurt me or my mom…"

She then chuckled.

"Something funny?" Eddie asked

"Nah." Hope smirked. "The thing is…you and your wife are practically in the same boat mom and dad were in."

"How so?" Eddie asked.

"Well, dad was a crime lord. Mom was a cop."

….

….

Eddie let that sink in before smiling.

"A cop and crime lord?" Eddie mused. "Interesting."

"This coming from the Yakuza assassin and the amnesiac model." Hope teased back.

"…Touché." Eddie mused, then motioning his half-sister to return to her story.

"So anyways, one day he up left. Never saw him again after my 10th birthday. He'd send cards and money, even paid for college and sometimes our rent…."

She looked at her half-brother.

"You saw him in his last moments?"

"He was trying to kill me." Eddie pointed out bluntly. "Hard to see love in that."

Hope cringed and took a sip of her coffee.

"…How old were you?" She asked suddenly.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the damn question." Hope snapped.

"Just about to turn 21."

"That's when it awakens." Hope explained. "The Darkness. Doesn't matter if dad knew about you or not; from what Cyan's research brought up, the Darkness ALWAYS goes to the firstborn male heir of the current user. In this case…from Dad to you."

"So?" Eddie asked, kind of delighting in the sight of an exasperated Hope massaging her forehead.

"Typical." She sighed. "Just typical. What it means, dunderhead, is that Dad was probably trying to spare you from that. Admittedly, in the worst way, but I'll assume time was of the essence. Let me ask you…would you have been happy to live life without these powers?"

That actually made Eddie stop and think back to the day of the Great Quake; and for once, not with thoughts of anger or hate.

Had he and… that man, never spoken, he would've gone to yet another party eh didn't ask for/need, only to be killed when the Quake happened. Jackie would've lived for probably a few more years and then…well, it wasn't Eddie's problem.

It also was somewhat of a relief to finally know who his father was

But then came the biggest point:

If he hadn't gotten the Darkness, he never would've met Masane and Riko. He never would've spent time taking care of somebody, wouldn't have felt the feelings of being a parent and he most certainly would never have fallen in love.

"…Some good has come from them." He confessed, geeting a smile from his half-sister before he then asked: "You said we have the same eyes…D…d…"

He struggled to say the word

"..Dad….and I."

Hope chuckled at the difficulty he had in saying the word, and tehn thought about how to word her response.

"They're the same color yeah, but…no, they're not be like dad's…" She admitted. "Dad's eyes were firm, serious and to the point. Yours are more…just trying to live and making the best of circumstances. But you both act a lot like…"

Eddie frowned, which made her smile more.

"You're both stubborn, loyal to a fault and above all else, you would do anything to protect your family and friends without a second thought…You're just more honest about than he was,."

Finding pleanty good points in those words, Eddie looked down at his cup, the image of a smiling Masane and Riko seeming to appear.

"They're all I have." He said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Hope smiled. "Cyan told me that when he's sleeping, Peter talks in his sleep. Relives his childhood…something about a tub? You not needing to get into trouble for him?"

Eddie smiled at what he heard

"He went out to grab some 'real coffee' if that's what your wondering." Hope added, but Eddie wasn't paying attention; his thoughts were in the past.

"Pete was a huge crybaby, you know." He chuckled. "Always ran to me or mom whenever something happened, bawling his eyes out. Whenever I got into a scrap he'd beg me to stop from going too far and give me a lecture on how much I worried him. Heck, even after we were taken in, he always begged me to think before I acted. Never listened to him; all I cared about was being as best as I could be so we could stay and not end back on the streets again."

"Who was his…?"

"Just some drunk who lucky." Eddie replied, a little too quickly. "Mom never brought him up, Pete never asked or cared. Mom was all we needed."

A sad smile crossed his face.

"She sounds like a great woman." Hope smiled.

"She was." Eddie replied, taking a sip of coffee. "What about your mom?"

"Highly decorated police-officer turned private investigator turned cop again." Hope mused with a smile. "Hard as nails on the job, didn't care what anybody thought and certainly didn't think too much of guys. But, she was a good mom. Patient for all the crap I got into on top of everything she had to deal with….Heck, I was a happy little accident…or so I'm told."

A weak chuckle escaped the half siblings before a few minutes of silence came over them.

"I better get back." The Darkness-user realized when he saw it was almost lunch-time. Before leaving, he paused. "Thanks for everything."

Hope got up to escort him out the room, shooting a STILL sleeping Cyan a light glare.

"I'm in town for another Month at least." She noted. "Don't be a stranger. Come back anytime."

She then smiled.

"And bring my cute little niece next time, why don't ya?"

Just then, the door opened, and there stood Peter, a half drunk cup of coffee in his hands.

"Eddie? What are you..?"

Eddie stopped, smiled and took his brother into a hug. Peter, while understandably confused and a wee bit freaked out, returned the hug.

The two brothers enjoyed the embrace and were disappointed when it ending for Eddie to get to the elevator.

"Oh! Almost forgot! Riko's birthday's coming up in a week." Eddie noted. "Mean a lot if you could make it."

Peter smiled at his brother.

"I'll be there no matter what."

Once Eddie was in the elevator, Peter turned to his boss for the month.

"What the heck did I miss?"

WBiD

Rihoko awoke to find herself and her mother alone in the room, finding a note on the wall:

 _Got called in, be back as soon as possible._

She shot her sleeping mother a look, realizing how hard both she and her father had been working lately. A sense of determination filled her as she made her way to the kitchen to scrounge up some breakfast.

Masane awoke to the smell of pan-frying and spied her daughter prepping breakfast

"Morning, mommy." Riko smiled as she served breakfast

"Morning, baby." Masane replied before seeing the MASSIVE surplus of French Toast. "Went a little overboard, I see?"

"I haven't cooked in a week." Riko reminded her before realizing something. "Is…daddy still out?"

Masane noticed Eddie was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry baby. Daddy just went to talk with Aunt Hope." She assured her daughter, trying not to recall the woman's comments about her being unfit for the Witchblade. She had some pride in the fact that the Darkness had called her two attackers pitiful…but still, having lost to them….

In order to distract herself from those thoughts even more, she suggested that she and Riko share the extra French Toast with their neighbors…including that nosy jerk Yusuke, who cotinuned to hound her and Riko for information on 'the monster' he'd seen earlier.

"I don't know anything, Sides, I was at work." Masane half-lied.

"Why are you so interested in my mom?" Riko asked the man. "Better be careful, daddy doesn't like it when guys talk to her."

Masane chuckled at that remembering one fellow who hadn't understood 'no' and tried to take her from Eddie. She would've handled him herself no problem, but….a small part of her enjoyed seeing Eddie getting hilariously violent and protective of her and Riko.

In the case of that one fellow she was remembering; Eddie had flattened him into a pancake, turned him into a paddle-ball and…well, the list of cartoonish-level violent acts was pretty long. Riko, only three at the time, had giggled at the sight of it all and Masane did look fondly on that day, using it as teasing on her husband.

 _Speaking of blackmail_ , she mused. _Mental note: Share that with Peter when I next see him._

"And your dad?" Yusuke asked Riko, bringing Masane out of memory lane. "What's he do? And how does he know Peter?"

"He works for Mr. Long." Riko answered bluntly. "And he's Uncle Petey's big brother."

It then seemed to dawn onto Yusuke WHY Eddie seemed to have a strong dislike him; he had inadvertedly gotten the man cock-blocked, and said man worked for one of the most powerful men in all of New Tokyo, if not all of Japan.

Masane would be lying if she didn't delight somewhat in Yusuke's predicament.

"Towzawa, by boy!" Mr. Chou cut in, taking Riko away from him and passing her to Masane. "Rihoko doesn't need to be around your influence too much; you're far too old for her!"

Yuskue groaned

"So are you."

"Yes, but we're friends!" The older man noted. "Besides, I'd like to stay on her father's good side."

"Thank you." Masane smiled at the old man as she brought her daughter closer

"I like him even more now." Eddie whispered in Masane's ear, suddenly appearing in the room.

"Daddy!" Riko beamed, racing to hug her father, who returned the embrace.

"Hi sweetie. Sorry, daddy had a couple of questions for your aunt to answer."

"Don't forget you're still being punished, buster." Masane noted. "Especially with what happened last night."

Eddie remembered his punishment

"But…I thought…? With…"

"Kissing doesn't count." Masane explained. "But that is the most you're getting for the rest of the week."

"All because of..?"

"Yep." Masane smirked, popping the 'p' in the word as she sampled a piece of toast.

"So…no…?" Eddie started.

"No."

"Not even…?"

"Not happening."

"….Not even cuddling?" Eddie whimpered like a puppy. "Or hugs?"

"Nope." Masane said, taking Riko's hand as they headed back to their room. "Could you clean up for us, baby? Thank you, love you!"

"See you upstairs, daddy!"

Eddie's world shattered and was filled by the music of a violin once again as he watched his wife and daughter leave. Then, a great rage began to fill his form, and he took out a notepad from his jacket, tearing out a page and then starting a new one:

 **Eddie's 'To kill' list**

 **1) Shiori**

 **2) YUSUKE!**

 **3) ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT RIKO ROMANTICALLY!**

 **4) Telemarketers**

 **5) Lolicons**

 **6) Ultra-Nationalists**

 **7) Sexists**

 **8) Wado**

He then thought for a second and switched the places of #1 and #3, before noticing everyone was watching him.

"…What?" He asked.

Getting no response, he grabbed some French toast and stormed back up to his room, where he heard Masane arguing with someone on the phone

"I just got home and NOW you want to chat? Well, forget it! I have a daughter to catch up with and take care of. I don't care what you say or do; it's not like you'll find anyone who can do my job, after all. So, you can take whatever you were going to tell me and show it…!"

'There'll be food on yacht." Segawa mentioned

That was all he needed to say.

"Okay you two!" Masane announced. "We're going out in two hours!"

"…But we just had breakfast."

WBiD

Masane was instantly upon the buffet on the yacht the Amahas found themselves on, with Eddie's gang, minus Hachi, accompanying them. And in spite of himself, Eddie joined her

"You clearly don't eat for someone who almost…" Reji started, only to spy Riko. "Oh. Hello…I wasn't ware you were bringing her."

"We are parents after all." Masane retorted, her mouth full of rice. "You';ve alrady taken me away from her enough, about time she meets you."

"Mom don't talk with your mouth full." Riko sighed as she nibbled on some fruit as her father made his way to their host.

"Choose your words carefully." Eddie demanded into his ear. "I'd prefer my daughter NOT to know anything about the more fantastical world we inhabit for as long as possible."

Reji nodded in understanding and then made his way back to the meeting room.

"Come when you're ready."

WBiD

Eddie's gang was, quite frankly, bored after all the excitement of the night before. They were looking forward to FINALLY getting some answers about their boss and his wife's powers, but also wanted to rest up from said excitement.

To say nothing of slightly dreading seeing someone else who was going to show up with Hachi and how their boss would react to it. Heck, Apachi and Wenders were still pretty ticked off at their boss fro even thinking of bringing this person into the fold.

"Yang. Ying." Eddie motioned, bringing them out of their thoughts.

His two youngest subordinates heeded his call and saw his was motioning them to his daughter. Picking up on this, the brother walked over with a smile.

"It'll be boring listening to grown-ups talk," Yang noted. "How about we go outside and go get us some ice cream?"

Rihoko looked over to her parents, both of who nodded. With a cheer, she followed the two teens out pf the yacht and onto a motor-boat to take them to shore.

"DON'T SPOIL HER DINNER, I'M COOKING TONIGHT!" Eddie shouted

"SPOIL IT! ALL HE MAKES IS RAMEN!" Masane retorted smugly, getting laughs out of everyone.

Eddie pouted as he waved goodbye to his little girl and surrogate younger siblings.

"I hate you." He growled through is teeth.

"No you don't." Everyone retorted.

"Hello again."

Masane turned to see her husband's boss in his cahir, a kowing and maused smile on his face

"Oh! Mr. Long!" She realized, bowing at the man who had practically raised her husband before remembering what he had Eddie do. Still she maintained her compsure.

"Not a worry Masane, Eddie. Everyone." He smield before motioning up to the man pushing his wheelchair. "I neglected to introduce someone when we first met: This is my son, Waiban."

The man gave a curt bow to all, shooting Eddie a smirk which was returned.

."Well then, now that almost everyone's here," Long mused, shooting Reiji a smile. "Shall we begin?"

WBiD

The twins and Rihoko now sat, enjoying sundaes at a local ice cream shop.

"Is it good?" Ying asked knowingly as she enjoyed a parfait. Riko nodded happily, her mouth full of chocolate covered vanilla and fruit.

"Do you want another?" Yang smiled, reaching for his wallet in order to get another round; he'd already finished his sundae and had more than enough money for a second round. Plus, Riko was such a joy to be around he couldn't help but try to spoil her.

Riko pushed her palte away to be taken away

"Thank you for the ice cream, Yang and Ying." She smiled, only to be shocked when Ying took her into a hug

"YOU'RE SO CUTE!" The teenage girl beamed

"SIS!" Yang winced in embrassment. "Public location!"

His sister paid his begging no mind, her only focus being the now giggling little girl in her arms. Yang sighed.

"Hoep the boss never finds out about this."

That's when Riko realized something:

"I've actually been wanting to ask you...How did you two meet my daddy?"

The twins froze for a second, embrassment and what appeared to be shame filling their beings as their minds flashbacked to many years ago….

 **10 years ago**

 _16 year old Eddie walked out from the alley where he'd finished… 'Conversing' with a dealer who had been ignoring Long's territory warnings. He wouldn't make that mistake again. Checking his watch, he realized it was almost dinner time. He followed his nose and ears to the smell of sizzling meat and the sound of boiling of water._

 _What to have tonight? Noodles? Definitely a strong possibility. Something on a stick? Maybe, if they were honest about just WHAT was on the stick. Dumplings? A good side dish, but not really filling on its own? Burgers? He'd had those for lunch. Pizza? Oven and microwave was cheaper. Hot Dogs? Like dumplings, not extremely filling._

 _He then saw a yakisoba tent and decided to have that for supper; he loved noodles, could get a good protein with it and walk and eat. The line-up was small, which gave the impression the food was decent at best._

 _He was in the lineup when a cough got his attention. Turning to the source, he spied in the corner of the nearby alleyway two kids; a boy and a girl, huddled together under a cardboard box, their hands outreached for any yen coins or bills the passers-by had to spare. Sadly, no one, save Eddie, seemed to see them._

 _Memories of him and Peter on the street filled him as a sad smile overtook his face. Just then, he realized he was at the counter. He knew what he wanted._

 _After getting his order, he made his way over to the two of them, handing them each a to-go box filled with the warm noodles and some dumplings, along with a bottle of water._

 _They gave him an unsure look before hunger took the better of them and they accepted the offering. Eddie, delighting in the siblings feeding each other and cleaning each other's mouths, sat down and ate with them._

" _You need a place to stay?"_

 **Present day**

"…And then he paid for our schooling, gave us an apartment and then hired us pretty much on the spot." Ying answered. "Yang here is a tech-wiz, and me?"

She paused, tryng to figure what she exactly did on the team…before coming up with a perfect answer.

"I'm moral support." She then smiled teasingly. "Altough now that you're around, I might need to reconsider a career choice."

"Ying, don't tease her." Yang chastised his sister.

Riko's eyes widened at the story, sadness for the twins filling her before even more love and admiration for her father came in to cheer her up. And then, a thought occurred to her.

"So…would this kind of make you two…my big brother and sister?"

The siblings' eyes widened at the question; that thought had never occurred to them before. While Eddie wasn't their father by any definition of the word, they wouldn't deny that he meant a great deal to them and he truly cared for them….

They ahd been a little jealous when he returned and told them about Riko, but upon meeting the little girl had come to care for her on the same level as their boss.

"I always wanted a sister." Ying smiled as she hugged the little girl, Yang smiling at the sight as he ordered that second round of ice cream and then joining the hug.

WBiD

"I appritaite you coming to see me on such short notice."

Johnny Powell had been looking forward to retirement after teaching this year. He was going to Hawaii and be on a beach surrounded by beautiful women and have tropical drinks.

Then he got summoned to New Tokyo by the Head of the NSWF, who, in the letter, had arranged for his travel and hotel with the mention of 'Estacado.'

That name was one Johnny was VERY famialr with; he had been the closest thing to a friend the late Jackie Estacado had had, his 'guy in the chair' in manner of speaking. They were not close, but there was enough respect between them that Johny relcuntanly packed his bags and was picked up by the man's daughter Reina.

"Not a problem, thanks for everything." Johnny said as he took a sip of water. "I assume you want to know about Jackie Estacado, my old college of sorts?"

"I a manner of speaking, yes." Furumizu answered. "We've recently had encounter with his son…"

Johnny spat out his water in shock. Still not being able to see Jackie with a son.

The room fell silent for a full minute before Johnny caught his breath and recomposed himself.

"Okay." He said. "I see what's going on here. You want to know about 'The Darkness', don't ya?"

He didn't let them reply.

"Fine. I'll tell ya. I'll tell ya everything you want to know. But before I start, how religious are you all?"

His question went unanswered, but it didn't matter. Johnny took a sip of water and then began his monologue.

"Okay, you know how this story goes… In the beginning, there wasn't shit. Literally! Nothing but void and darkness, and THAT'S how the Darkness liked it."

This made Furumizu raise an eyebrow; this Darkness was that old?

"It wasn't until God decreed 'turn on the lights!' that things got nasty! It started out small…a-a planet here, a sun there…then next thing you know, there's humans! And cows, and then stuff running all over the place. Needless to say, the Darkness was PISSED!"

He downed most of his water, and Nora moved to fill it up as he continued

"From there until now, the Darkness tore its way through the world, inhabiting one human host after another, each of them thinking they were its master."

He looked at the assembled, pure horror on his face. Memories were returning to him, memories he had worked so hard to repress…

"But you CAN'T own the Darkness…The Darkness owns you!"

He then took a deep breath

"Fast-forward a couple of decades ago to one Jackie Estacado. You know his type; no family, no future….he ended up just as you'd suspect; busting heads for the Frencitti crime family. Life as a whole was pretty dark for Jackie."

That was a severe understatement.

"Then came his 21st birthday, and things got a whole lot darker!"

The NSWF officials rose their eyebrows in confusion, motioning him to continue.

"Y-you might think that inheriting superpowers would be pretty cool for Jackie; y-ya know being the business of killing people and all…. And if not for the demon living inside of him, you'd be right!"

"A demon?" Nora asked, not believing his words

"I find that quite fitting." Reina added, remembering her brief encounters with….that being before it butchered Shiori.

"Girls, please." Furimizu silenced them. "Continue, Mr. Powell."

"See the Darkness didn't just make Jackie stronger; it made him a god….but only when the lights were out. Next thing you know; the mob turns on Jackie…"

"I know all about that." Furimizu waved. "How they killed his lover and all that…."

"Please don't interrupt and let me finish." Johnny asked, then picking up where he'd left off.

"Anyway, the mob turns on Jackie, marks him for death; just like that! It was the New York City mob vs Jackie..and the Darkness!"

His tone and mannerisms suddenly changed: instead of fear and respect, Johnny now seemed to be pitying and regretting what he was about to say next:

"B-but as hard as things were for Jackie…there was a light in his life; a-and her name…was Jenny."

Even though they had heard the story before, his three hosts now renewed thei interest; now they had a name to associate with the deceased woman

"N-now these kids?" Johnny explained. "They went way back; I-I don't think anyone would disagree that they were meant for each other…!"

Johnny's sadness and regret were now clear to all

"I-if anything, that the real tragedy in all this. See, the mob was still after Jackie. Now, they thought the quickest way to hurt him would be to take away, y-y-ya know, his only reason for living. And the bullet to her pretty little head? That's what they did."

They could almost hear a gunshot

"Killing Jenny? Was about the dumbest thing the mob could've done. See, because without her? Jackie not only had nothing to live for…He had nothing left to loose! And the rest they say, is history."

A silence fell over the room for a good few minutes, before Johnny ended the silence:

"And now, if what your little email is telling me is true, dear old Jackie had some one-night stand that gave him a son, said son inherited his powers about six years ago, is the right hand man of the head of the Yakuza and above all else, is married, let me repeat that, MARRIED to the newest Witchblade host?"

"Yes." Nora sighed in irritation.

"And you plan on pickin' a fight with him, even after what he did to your number 3 and what I just told you?"

While she didn't outwardly show any signs, Reina was saddened by the loss of Shiori.

"Sacrifices must he made." Furimizu shrugged.

Johnny let out a disgusted chuckle

"Good luck and thanks for the free trip."

The NSWF head rose an eyebrow

"Why?"

"If this kid is ANYTHING like his old man," Johnny explained. "You are signing yourselves a death sentence. You do know the Darkness CREATED your precious WItchblade, right?"

Evidently, they did not.

' _This warrants research…_ ' Reina noted.

"Yeah. So I'll say it again; good luck to ya. Make sure you got a surplus of body bags and health insurance."

He then walked out of the building and back to his hotel

"I gotta call him. Let him know 'fore it's too late…."

WBiD

Meanwhile, an elderly woman got off a plane with a frown on her face. The flight had been long, she'd seen all the in-flight movies before and the food was as crummy as ever. That, and above all of this, she was missing the celebration of her illustrious career.

She then spied the source of her irritation; her daughter, her best friend and a young man who was functioning as their bodyguard; a seemingly low level mercenary. However, with her years of experience, the woman could tell the man was stronger than he let on.

"Welcome to Japan, Mrs…" Peter started

"Yeah, yeah thanks." She then glanced at Hope, tossing her suitcase at him. "What's so damn important that I'm missing my own retirement party? They were going to get me strippers and everything!"

'Hello to you to, mom." Hope smirked. "I found him."

"…You sure you found him?"

"Can we please not address my brother like he's some kind of crimin….Wow, he was right about that."

Cyan clapped sarcastically.

"Bravo, last horse finally crosses the finish line."

Peter looked at her.

"Yes. Even though I've only known you for a few days, it is clear you are a hypocrite, Mercernary-san."

Peter grumbled and moved to take Sara's things.

"Okay, get me to a hotel room, get me some decent food and then tell me everything about my half-son in the morning." Sara demanded. "That flight was a killer."

"Not just him, mom." Hope assured her, leaning in to whisper. "I found the Witchblade."

Sara Pezzini took a good look at her successor, and one thing came to mind:

"….Are those real?"

"MOM!"

 **Next: Dinner with the Devil part. 1**

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**

 **The meeting will be shown in full next chapter, which will be posetd sometime in the Early New Year.**

 **Happy Holidays.**


	7. Dinner with the Devil

**Dining with the devils**

In retrospect, the meeting went well, mostly. Most of the first half hour was spent with Masane filling her stomach with as much of the food that had been provided as possible. In fact, it was the four-eyed yes man who had ruined everything:

"We need to see if you've healed since last night." Segawa explained as he and Reiji had managed to separate the couple breifly. "And you, Edward..."

"Eddie."

"Please explain what hap..."

By this time, Masane had realized what Segawa had meant by checking her injuries and shouted, quite loudy:

"ICKY! ICKY! ICKY!"

She had then thrown the man halfway across the room before bounding back to her husband, glaring at her boss from behind him.

"...Really?" Eddie asked, unsure how to be asking that; he knew his wife could take Segawa, who was, along with Reiji, being a moron in just assuming they could...and surely the two men had enough common sense to know...

"Tactless as always Reiji." Long sighed, breaking his assassin oiut of his thoughts. "She's a married woman and she's up and about, That alone should tell you she's fine."

"But still..." The Douji head started, only to be silenced by a frown from the older gentleman.

"Let. It. Go. Besides...I think you're about to be in enough trouble already."

Waiban then reached into his coat pocket and showed the Amahas a picture of a younger Reiji and a very familiar woman...her supposed better.

"Where did you?" Reiji demanded

"I was here earlier and did some looking." Long explained. "I didn't get to my position by just trusting people."

While Eddie simply glared at his sometimes contractor, Masane made her view clear:

"When were you going to tell us about this?" She snapped. "Are you working with her? Trying to trick me and Eddie? That IS Lady, right?"

Reiji said nothing. Eddie on the other hand:

"…M-mo…?"

Eddie stopped himself from finishing that sentence. The resemblance was uncanny, but he knew that this woman could not be related to him or his beloved mother; a Neogene? There was no way..enough of those thoughts!

"Explain it now and make it good, otherwise I quit doing your dirty work." Masane growled at her boss.

As so the Douji group leader did: He explained how the NSWF and Douji had been working together to study the Witchblade, which Douji had at the time recently acquired, where he had been introduced to 'Lady' AKA Reina Souma, the NSWF's top scientist and a product of their Neogene experiments..

"She was brilliant, determined and beautiful." Reiji reminisced. "I couldn't believe that the NSWF's Neogene program could create such a perfect woman."

Eddie grunted at Reiji's description

"Sounds like this 'Lady' was all fake." He said, playing as dumb as he could. "Coming from some mystical object and being 'perfect'...where's the good in that?"

Reiji rose his scarred eyebrow

"Well, you must see why our companies were interested..." Segawa started.

"I love my wife, imprefections and all." Eddie glared at the aide de campe, Waiban glaring along with him.

"If I may make a suggestion, Mr. Segawa?" The Yakuza heir said. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to. And remember, Eddie is my father's go to assassin, he has killed in full rooms and gotten away with it."

Segawa held his tongue as Masane, touched by her husband's words, let him take her into an embrace and nuzzled his nose.

"No kiss?" Eddie teased.

"Not with all the viewers." Masane retorted. "And besides...your still being punished."

"I just never pictured you as the type to fall in love."

"Honesty? Me neither." Eddie shrugged.

Reiji smirked

"I don't know if you'd call what we had 'love.' One day, Reina just...disappeared without a trace. About the time our research reached it's cilmax..."

"Poor word choice." Eddie butted in, getting glared at. "What? It is!"

"I...have to agree with him." Waiban noted.

"Sweetie. Four eyes." Masane sighed at her husband and his boss' driver. "Keep your mind out of the gutter."

"Well, it wouldn't be in the gutter if you lifted that stupid punishment and let us start up our evening traditions..." Eddie whispered

"What was that?" Masane asked knowingly.

"Nothing." Eddie said quickly.

Undeterred, Reiji continued.

"Reina stole the Witchblade and ran off." Reiji said bluntly, almost as if he wanted to finish his story as quickly as possible. "Of course, we dedicated whatever resources we could to finding her. I held on to hope she was under orders from the NSWF, but when we contacted them, they were just as surprised as we were.

The three Yakuza didn't buy that part, especially not Long,

"Reina could be arrogant." Reiji admitted. "I'm certain she wanted the Witchblade for herelf

" _ **HA! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT EVER WORKING OUT."**_ The Darkness said from within Eddie's mind

' _Something I should know?_ ' He asked.

" _ **IT'S NOT SET IN STONE, BUT USUALLY THE WITCHBLADE JOINS WITH SOMEONE DESPERATE FOR POWER AND NOT REALLY SEEKING TO USE IT FOR THEMSELVES. STILL...THIS REINA SEEMED TO BE ALMOST AS GOOD AS YOUR WIFE'S PREDECESSOR..."**_

Reiji repeated most of what the Darkness has just said...but added something else that got the Amaha's attention.

"Reina was a suitable host and she knew it. Something we discovered during our research, bit Douji would hear none of it. Eventually we did find Reina...on the day of the Great Quake. A fight between our forces broke out...and you know the rest."

Neither Amaha saw the worth in adding in that Eddie inheriting theDdarkness played a part in the magnitude of the Great Quake.

"Well, while this Lady is indeed still a problem," Long said. "you'll be happy to know that as of last night, due to the actions of Eddie and Masane, we now have a Cloneblade on our side."

He paused and his brow furrowed just as there was a knock on the door.

"No, i tell a lie. We have a former Cloneblade on our side. And here she is now."

"Hey, can we come in?" A familar female voice asked.

"Yeah Hachi." Eddie called, but his denamour would change in a second when Hachi, with some struggle, brought in the newest addition to the New Tokyo Yakuza:

Clucthing onto his oldest friend like a lifeline with a terrified look upon her face, was the same woman he had literally disarmed the previous night.

"YOU?!"

Shiori screamed again, fear very clear as she ducked behind Hachi. Eddie reached for his gun, half berating himself for leaving a target alive and another half questioning his mentor's reasons for doing this. Hachi followed in suit, drawing two pistols and aiming them at Eddie.

Throughout all of this, Shirori whimpered and hid behind Hachi.

"It's okay." Hachi whispered to the whimpering woman. "It's okay."

She then glared at her boss and childhood friend, altough Masane noted there was still a hint of banter in her eyes and an ever so slight smirk on her face.

"Stand down you two. Eddie, she works for me now." Long explained.

"…As you wish, Long-Sama." Eddie bowed, a growl in his tone as he obeyed his master. However, he never stopped glaring at her.

Shiori buckled from bechind Hachi, who gently held onto her hand.

"Thanks a lot, jackass." Hachi grumbled and yet smirked at her boss as she made her way over to the couch, gently pulling Shiori down beside her. "Whatever you did to poor Shiori-chan, she can't go anywhere remotely dark without screaming to high heaven. Stuck to me like a lifeline, as you can see."

"Like you're complaining about that."

Hachi's blush and pout to the side confirmed Eddie's suspicions.

"Allow me to introduce Shiori Tsuzuki." Waiban explained. "Direct assistant and secratary to Dr. Reina Soho and, based upon our knoweldge, the 3rd or 4th strongest Cloneblade user in the NWSF. Trained in medicine and forensics, presumed deceased after a car accident last night, No next of kin or relationships of note"

"Shiori will now be acting as my nurse." Long explained. "As well as giving us intel on anything she knows of the NSWF and X-Cons."

Masane gave her two-time enemy a look over. Said enemy diverted her eyes from the woman she'd been so sure and close to killing.

"Eddie, what did you do to her?"

Her husband didn't want to respond.

"She needed a cybernetic arm after he was done." Long said bluntly, a gentle smile on his face. "It would seem that your husband is very protective of you, Masane."

Masane smiled at those words and pecked Eddie on the nose before making her way to Shiori.

"Not so tough now, huh?" She smirked, delighting when Shiori angrily frowned and glared at her.

"I'm still a better fighter."

"I'm married with a daughter." Masane retorted.

"No man can touch me." Shiori retorted back, realizing too late it was a little weak.

"Oh really? Cause if what Im seeing is any inclination, someone did. And by the way? Pnly the man who kicked your ass can touch me."

"Not that he can right now." Hachi smirked, getting a growl from her boss.

Shiroi leapt to her feet and glared at Masane, who glared back.

"I'm bigger."

"Compensating much?"

"..So glad Riko's not here for this." Eddie said aloud.

"If we could focus, please?" Reiji asked, going ignored and barely paying any attention to Segawa's notification that both the yacht and the speed boat Hachi had used to transport herself an Shiori over was returning to port.

"...Something tells me they're going to get along fine." Waiban smiled.

 **1 hour later**

The Amahas waited patiently by the yacht for the twins to return with their daughter. Hachi had been allowed to leave to help Shiori unpack her things and move in

"I should've told them not to go too far." Eddie mused

"Oh relax." Masane assured her husband. "You know the twins love Riko, they'll take good care of her."

She paused.

"Actually...all of your gang loves her. We might need to make a babysitting schedule."

Eddie chuckled at that as he heard a familiar:

"Hey boss-man!"

The Amahas turned to see Ying waving over to him while Yang held a sleeping Riko in his arms. Masane took the little girl into her arms while Eddie handed the twins several Yen bills and coins to pay back what they'd spent on his daughter.

"The meeting go okay?" Yang asked.

"Ask Hachi." Eddie ordered. "It was draining."

Getting the cue, the twins excused themselves and headed home.

"Well, she's out like a light."

The parents turned to see Long and Waiban smiling gently at the scene.

"And here I was hoping to finally have that family dinner. Well, can;t do it if the special guest is snoozing. Eddie? Masane Please, come over for dinner tomorrow night." Long asked of the couple as Waiban pushed his chair towards his limo. "With little Rihoko of course. We'll able to chat more in length there, especially on less...worrisome topics."

Eddie shot his wife a pleading look, which she nodded to. With that, the group departed for the evening.

"Are you sure about this, father?" Waiban asked.

"Robots and doppelgangers are one thing. But if Masane can handle the forces that will come after her husband, then Reiji will have definitely done well in taking Miss Amaha as his employee. That, and I'll know for certain it was a wise move to allow Eddie to marry her. After all, the empire needs strong and happy members."

The young man kept his mouth shut but drove his father away to their home, as a phone began to ring. Long answered the call.

"Young Victor? Ah yes, Good day. Yes, I talked with him. No, no suspicion yet. I'm entertaining him and his family to…yes, a lovely wife and adorable little girl. As I was saying, they'll be my guests for dinner tomorrow, but come Monday, they are yours for the taking. Yes, yes. I'm not particularly concerned for the two ladies, do what you will. Yes. Yes. Sayonara."

Waiban, clenching his fists into the wheel, knew he should ask, but did so anyways. Or he would've, if his father hadn't said:

"We have a new ally. Does the name Iron ring a bell?"

Waiban held his tongue and continued driving.

"Son?" Long declared, getting the younger man's attention.

"Yes?"

"I hope that your past friendship with Eddie is not impacting your judgment. I raised you better than that"

"…No, father."

"Good."

WBiD

"I understand. Thank you for your efforts and work. You're payment will be deposited shortly."

After receiving word of the failure to locate her assistant, Reina simply shrugged and returned to her car as she finished off her lunch break. Her research on the Darkness had started with a hig bang, but at a cost. Albeit, a minor one in her father's eyes; Shiori was a good fighter and assitant, but average in almost all ther areas; she'd get no pity or funeral from hm.

When she was out of sight however, she mourned Shiori as she drove back to the NSWF headquarters. She made sure to clear her tears before going inside and making a vow:

"I will find this Darkness and I will destroy it."

To hell with what her father wanted. To hell with how the Darkness could make the user unstoppable. It was too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Besides, no good ever came from a man with more power than god.

Unknown to Reina, a force familiar with the Darkness had heard her thoughts.

Intrigued, it decided that it would observe the NSWF and these pitiful Witchblade wannabes. There was always bound to be at least one diamond in the rough

And besides, it had waited this long already, what would a few more months mean?

WBiD

In a penthouse apartment in the rich district of New Tokyo, Hachi handed her lovely and busty guest, now in a bathrobe, a glass of scotch. Every light in the apartment was on, but Shiori had stayed close to the window and lamps

"I'm so telling Masane embrassing Eddie stories for this." She mused to herself. "The energy bill's going to be crazy."

She spied Shiori simply looking at the content of her glass.

"...although, the lovely company certainly makes it worth it."

"...Thank you." Shiori responded, a little weakly.

"You make it sound like no one's ever complimented you." Hachi said with a risen brow. "Intelligent, powerful, beautiful? You must have gotten something like that."

"Not from the one I wanted to hear from, though." Shiori took a sip of her drink.

Hachi's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry to hear that. At the same time, though...was she really worth it?"

The nervousness vanished and was replaced by passion and anger.

"Yes!" Shiori declared, leaping to her feet. "Reina was perfection itself! And she chose me, out of all our sisters, to be by her side! She applauded me, trained me, respected me...Worthless little Shiori."

Hachi tensed at those words. Not seeing this, Shiori continued.

"I was only strong because of Reina. I only meant anything because of her and the Cloneblade. Hell, I was so weak my blade was starting to fall apart."

Having heard enough, and possibly being frustrated in more than one way, Hachi grabbed Shiori by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes

"Now you listen to me." She demanded. "You are a beautiful, intelligent and skilled woman! You should be applauded and adored for everything you've done, and if that bitch can't see you as anything beyond help, then it's her and the NSWF's loss."

"But Dr. Soho..."

Hachi then slapped her guest/hostage, her eyes steeled and filled with such rage that not only did it dwarf Shiori's putburst, it almost seemed like she was channeling the Darkness.

"LISTEN UP WOMAN, I HAVE KNOWN EDDIE SINCE WE WERE IN DIAPERS!" Hachi shouted. "AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I HAVE WHAT MOST WOULD CALL REAL LOYALTY! REAL LOYALTY IS TWO SIDED! REAL LOYALTY IS ABOUT RETURNING FAVORS AND TURNING THE WORLD OVER FOR ONE ANOTHER! REINA AIN'T DOING NONE OF THAT! EDDIE HAS AND ALWAYS WILL!"

Hachi panted away her anger as a moment of silence filled the room.

"I'm sorry about that." Hachi sighed. "I-I just lose it whenever someone...when..."

She stole the bottle and downed a third of its content, turning her back to her guest, who remained silent. For a full two minutes, neither said a word.

"When I was just starting to figure out who I was, not only as a person but as a woman, a couple of drunks grabbed me off the streets." Hachi suddenly explained. "I grew up in the slummiest slums, and had no one. They figured no one'd miss me. And I wasn't the only one; there were six other girls like me there and i don't think i have to spell out what the plan was for us, do I?"

She didn't.

"Eddie did save me yeah...but he was late."

Shiori's mouth went agape.

"I did hate him for a bit, not going to lie." Hachi admitted. "This was a while after his ma died, and I could see he'd been doing well while me and the others...but, he never forgot us. He made Long pay for our education, give us jobs in the empire and become his direct subordinates. Hell, even then, he doesn't treat us like that.."

She smiled

"Why else do you think I was in that room with Okashira when you woke up? Why you're bunking with me?"

Shirori's face twicthed into a smile, before frowning again

"i thank you, but..."

"Oh for the love of...!" Hachi grumbled. "You better cheer up right now or so help me, I'm dragging you into that bed and doing every single thing you wanted to do to that uptight broad!"

A blush covered both women's face.

"...My lips are sealed." Shiori responded with a daring smile that Hachi returned.

Soon, moans of ecstasy filled the room, and Shiori would soon call someone else 'dearest.'

WBiD

The next evening, the Amahas dressed in her best clothes, in this case yukata, and made their way to the residence of Eddie's employer.

Long's home was an impressive castle like mansion situated on a hill that overlooked all of New Tokyo

"Wowie!" Riko beamed

"Holy crap, is crime really that bad or is Long loaded?" Masane asked, whispering into her husband's ear.

"Bit of both." Eddie said with a nervous smile before tensing and putting a hand on his wife and daughter's shoulders.

"Daddy?" Riko asked, confused at her father's movement.

"Wait here a sec." Eddie requested, as he began to sidestep and hop over certain steps before opening the door. Just then, a blur leapt from the door and rammed into Eddie, who grabbed it and sent it flying.

The blur revealed itself to be a ninja that drew a knife Eddie easily smacked away before the two grappled. Eddie then kicked his enemy's ankle, sending him to the ground and pinning his neck with an arm.

"Time?" The Darkness user asked

The man removed his mask, revealing it to be Waiban.

"35 seconds."

"Still got it." Eddie smirked with pride, looking over his two girls. "It's okay to come in now; just a little thing Long-sama always makes me go through to keep me in shape...though he usually has a slew of ninjas do it."

While relived that that was all the encounter was, Masane and Riko were not completely settled and worry began to fill them. For Riko, it made her think twice about the nice old man she had seen when her parents had first taken her to Marry's. And for Masane, it was a mix; on one hand, this proved her husband was still good at his job and made her grateful Reiji hadn't sent anyone to test her...but it also made her think of the kind of life Eddie must have lived before her and Riko.

"Just because Father gave the ninjas the day off, doesn't mean I do." The bespecled man sighed

"Yeah, yeah." Eddie chuckled. "Nearly gave my daughter a heart attack, ya jackass."

"Eddie, language!" Masane chastised her husband, pointing to their daughter.

"And no, the bird is for the heart attack."

...

"What bird?" Eddie asked

Just then, a sqwack filled the air, and a falcon rushed towards Eddie who barley ducked before it landed on his head and pecked at the ridge of his nose.

Eddie moved to shoo the bird away, but paused halfway when he seemed to recongzie something. Judging by the looks Riko saw all around, the three adults were familar with this bird.

"Our other guest of honour is here as well." Waiban explained.

.The newcomer was a Caucasian man of green eyes and black hair, garbed in a camouflage LSU along with a falconry glove.

"Eddie Estacado. Its been a while, huh?"

The Darkness user's eyes widened.

"...Jim?" He asked in confusion

"Oh, you DO remember me." The man smirked happily. "I was worried Masane would've made you forget your best friend."

Eddie' eyes widened and began to shine as an elated smiled crossed his face.

"Jimmy!"

Eddie broke away from his wife and daughter to give the newcomer a hug, as the falcon squawked again, as if annoyed it was being ignored.

"And hello to you to, Horus!" Eddie smiled at the bird, now preched on Jim's shoulder

Horus was an American kestrel, one that had grown into full adulthood

Masane's eyes widened at the sight and memories of the man in front of her:

Jim 'Reagan' Ikari; Eddie's oldest and most undeniably best friend, all the way since elementary. Hell, he was practically a 2nd brother to her husband, and unlike Peter, one she knew quite well:

Masane had first met Jim about a week after she and Eddie had gone from 'living together under circumstances' to full on 'dating romantically', and the couple and a baby Riko had managed to sneak into and live in the USA for a few years. He'd dropped in unexpectedly, teased Eddie relentlessly but had proven to be a very smart and sneaky man who also was a gentleman through and through...save for one little detail.

"Hey there, Massy." Jim smiled

That. God. Damned. Nickname.

Every single time they met, he'd call her that. He'd never peek at her, never make a remotely sexist joke and treated her as if she were his own sister...but Jim refused to call Masane anything but Massy. And to say nothing of the less...It drove her MAD. If he hadn't been such a perfect babysitter to Riko...

In spite of not liking the name (which, she admitted, was more tolerable than Marry's 'Melony'), Masane smiled and gave Jim a peck on the cheek

"Jimbo, you old bean...Didn't expect to see you again." She confessed. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, just visiting my mom and doing a little work." Jim explained. "But when old man Long called me up and told me that you were back in town, I knew I couldn't leave without seeing you guys at least once. And hey, I'm getting a free meal and maybe some intel on jobs at the same time."

He then spied the 6-year old girl, staring at him with an unsure look. With a gentle smiled he beant down and extended a hand to her.

"Hey there Riko, do you remember me?" Jim asked hopefully, then making a realization. "I don't suppose so; you were just starting to form sentences when I last saw you."

"Sweetheart, this is an old friend of mine." Eddie explained to his daughter. "Jim Ikari. He's practically another brother to me.

"In fact, there was a time where we thought he was going to be your godfather." Masane added. "But he felt that he didn't have enough money to take care of you, so..."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Jim weakly smiled. "Huge job came up in the Middle East, couldn't turn down. But, if the offer still stands..."

Riko gave Jim a look over, just as Horus flew down and landed in front of her

"Oh, and that there is Horus." Jim explained

The bird looked up to the little girl, who smiled gently, bent down gently pet him.

"Hello Horus." Riko smiled, the bird relaxing as she petted him and smiling.

"Well, I'll be darned." Jim noted with a chuckle. "Never seen him take to somebody so quickly...You...you two sure she's your daughter? Because I know for a fact neither of you would've taught her responsibility."

Eddie bonked Jim on the head

"I'd have words with you if Riko and Masane weren't here." Eddie growled.

"And I'm only letting ya do that because my adorable niece is in the room."

"Actually, she's Peter's niece." Waiban said, reminding everyone he was in the room. "And as entertaining as it is to watch you two bicker, I imagine the ladies must be hungry and my father heads to bed in an hour."

Horus flew back onto Jim's shoulder, and the group followed Waiban into the dining room.

The evening was a lovely one; Jim entertained Riko with stories of his times in the Middle East along with stories of how she and her parents had gone on misadventures in America, as well as remembering their wedding. Waiban annoucned he was going to be a teacher starting in the fall

"Lord, I pity the kids." Eddie groaned

"I HEARD THAT, GAIJIN!"

Long shared a few stories of Eddie and Peter growing up as his adopted sons, where Riko learnt that Peter had been closer to Waiban, who Eddie teased but still clearly cared for. However, the highlight for Riko was when the chefs came in with an assortment of the most decadant cupcakes she had ever seen.

Waiban grew to like Riko immensnly and vowed to shake the school board if he had to to get her in his first class.

All in all, it was a lovely evening...and a calm before the storm.

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**

 **Immense and special thanks to EvaShinobiKaiserKnight, Gemking and Autstic Grizzly for all their help and support in helping this story progress.**

 **So, quick question on the next chapter; should we continue the story, or...would some people like for this story to take a short break in order to truly measure up to the M-rating with a little love scene? Leave your response in a review.**

 _ **Omake: Engagement Days**_

 _ **The following is the first in a series of omakes/extras that flash back to when Eddie, Masane and Riko were living together right after the quake. Up until the wedding night, anything is possible, and suggestions/ submissions from readers are highly encouraged/ welcomed. If you write them yourselves, they'll be featured either in story or in a spin-off.**_

Eddie had forgotten to knock on the motel door when he came in that afternoon.

In his defence, it had been an incredibly long and stressful day; he'd had to ring out what little information he could out of several conversationally challenged punks to find his target, ran almost entirely over San Francisco in search of his query, during which several poor muggers and pickpockets had learnt very painfully he was NOT to be mugged, he hadn't eaten since breakfast...and that damn voice in his head wouldn't shut up!

" _ **YOU KNOW WHAT I AM. AND ADMIT IT, YOU DON'T MIND HAVING SOMEONE TO TALK TO BLOOD AND GUTS ABOUT. I'M LITERALLY IN YOUR BLOOD AND HEAD AND CAN MAKE YOU EVEN BETTER AT WHAT YOU'RE BEST AT...LOOK AT WHAT WE JUST DID WITH...WHAT WAS HIS NAME AGAIN?"**_

But in the end, he'd found his target; an associate of Long-Sama who had been taking advantage of the confusion caused by the Great Quake to take in enormous extra profits and started acting like he owned all of the Yakuza's business to San Francisco.

A mistake he and his gang would never repeat.

Now all Eddie wanted to do was get to the room he and Masane were renting, play with baby Riko a little bit and then sleep until the day after tomorrow. So when he finally got to said room, he hadn't bothered to knock and let Masane know someone was coming in.

The sight that greeted him made him both regret and be very thankful he had forgotten that:

Masane, fresh out of the bath was standing right there in her full naked glory, a towel in her hands as she dried her hair and a change of clothes at the door, which Eddie assumed she had forgotten to bring in with her after Riko had gone on a bit of fit.

Said baby was now smiling at him as the TV played some PBS show Eddie was surprised was still running in this day and age.

For a full minute, neither adult had said a word to each other, but blushes had crossed their faces. Masane opened her mouth...

"Hold on!" Eddie stopped her. "I already know what you're going to say. I'm not...going to pretend I didn't just see what I just saw."

" _ **YEAH, I BET YOU WON'T..."**_ The Darkness teased, going ignored as Eddie, his eyes still closed, suddenly became bold, throwing off his shirt

"So how about this? I'll get naked! then we call it even?"

Masane's face was in a full blush at the sight of Eddie's chiselled physique...before she glared at him, grabbed a lamp and shouted:

"PERVERT!"

BONK!

"OOOOWWWW!"

Riko giggled at the whole thing before returning to her show.

 **Keep safe and warm, and once again feel free to offer suggestions for this little omake series and if anyone wants a lemon!**

 **TTFN!**


	8. Pasts Pleasent and Pitiful

****Pasts pleasant and pitiful****

The family had indeed had a wonderful time, yet they returned to Marry's in mixed spirits. Riko was fast asleep in her father's arms, and the two parents, both slightly tipsy and high on life yet exhausted, struggled to be quiet as they made their way to their room.

As her husband fiddled with the lock Masane's mind flashed back to a conversation with Long she had had just before the evening had ended.

A conversation she had no intention of sharing with husband just yet.

 **Earlier that night**

 _"_ _ _Please don't get her hooked on that junk." Eddie had groaned as Jim introduced Rihoko to the sole 'geeky' thing he seemed to treasure above all else:__

 _ _Yugi-Oh the card game.__

 _"_ _ _There's nothing wrong with a grown man teaching his niece to play a card game." Jim smirked as he saw the daughter of his best friend wipe out his small army with a well placed magic card. "And once again, I question how the heck this kid is yours; nicely down, kiddo!"__

 _ _He messed with her hair affectionately__

 _"_ _ _Thank you, Uncle Jim."__

 _"_ _ _It is when the grown man enjoys it." Waiban added as he poured Eddie a cup of tea. "Also, she's Peter's niece, not yours."__

 _ _Jim was pulled out of the game for a second__

 _"_ _ _Oh yeah, how is Pete doing?"__

 _"_ _ _Working as a body-guard." Eddie said, turning to his other friend. "And thank you, Waiban, for pointing out my biggest point."__

 _"_ _ _Hey, this a universal game." Jim retorted. "Just cause the show was aimed at kids doesn't mean jack."__

 _ _He then turned to Riko.__

 _"_ _ _Also; sweetheart? When you get the chance, watch that show and never believe a thing your father says about it."__

 _ _Riko hadn't been listening, placing another card, she wiped out Jim's life points.__

 _"_ _ _Like that, uncle Jim?"__

 _ _The three men looked down and realized what had just happened: Riko, a first time player, had just beaten her uncle (who was no slouch by any means) in a mere two turns.__

 _"_ _ _...Dang."__

 _ _The conversation, while somewhat funny and filling Masane with pride in how her daughter once again proved her brilliance, had started to get a little geeky for the young woman's taste, so she had turned to the host of the event.__

 _"_ _ _Hey, Long? Can I speak to you in private for a minute?"__

 _ _The aging Yakuza head, who had just started getting out of his chair, nodded, and motioned for her to follow him into another room.__

 _ _It was the mansion library; with a crackling fireplace and a multitude of paintings of famous authors and scenes from books scattered throughout.__

 _"_ _ _What is it you wished for Eddie and Riko to not hear?" Long asked as he sat down and opened up a book, in spite of having a very good idea what was to come.__

 _"_ _ _I know what Eddie does for you."__

 _ _Long smiled at this revelation, flipping a page of his book.__

 _"_ _ _And?" He asked. "You're not thinking of leaving him, are you?"__

 _ _Masane's straight face contorted into anger, ever so slightly.__

 _"_ _ _No." She said after recomposing herself. "I know it sounds selfish, but I honestly find it hard to care as long we keep Riko warm, fed and happy."__

 _"_ _ _Then why did you request to speak with me alone?" Long asked, placing his book to give Masane his full attention.__

 _"_ _ _Because I want to know two things." Masane declared. "One; do you hate me and Riko for..?"__

 _"_ _ _No. In fact, if anything I'm elated Eddie met you and Rihoko." Long admitted, cutting her off. "Before you, he was all business and no pleasure unless I demanded it of him. Seriously, he'd have rather spent his days off and birthdays doing my bidding. He's actually happier now, and for all that he's done for me, I am very happy to see him like that. Besides, he deserves to be far more than a mere attack-dog, as some of my associates have declared him."__

 _ _This knowledge did comfort the woman somewhat, but Masane wasn't finished:__

 _"_ _ _Two: Are you willing to harm Eddie if you can get something out of it?"__

 _ _Long's affable attitude vanished, as did his smile.__

 _"_ _ _Whatever brought that thought up?" He growled as he stood up. "Have I not made it clear how much I...?"__

 _"_ _ _Appreciation is one thing." Masane cut him off. "But you knowing so much about him? Taking care of his brother and friends? Not harming Peter when he obviously left when some knoweldge of how you work? And finding them practically right after they ran away from the orphanage?"__

 _ _Long held his tongue.__

 _"_ _ _Oh yeah, Eddie's told me some things. Most of what I just said was assumptions, though." Masane noted, then taking a deep breath. "Now, tell me the truth of this last point right now, then I'll leave all this alone. We'll never have had this conversation, and I'll go back to being the good wife."__

 _ _The Yakuza head steeled himself, motioning her to ask.__

 _"_ _ _..Did you send Eddie to where and when Great Quake happened, hoping he'd get his dad's powers?"__

 _ _...__

 _"_ _ _Answer me."__

 _ _...__

 _"_ _ _No wonder he loves you so." Long sighed. "Not a brainless beauty by any means."__

 _"_ _ _Only when it comes to Eddie and Riko." Masane said, crossing her arms. "So?"__

 _ _Long was silent for a minute.__

 _"_ _ _It was a possibility I had to explore." Long answered, making Masane's eyes widen as she took a step back, but not out of fear. "The Great Quake was not my intent; that was all at DOUJI and the NSWF's fault."__

 _"_ _ _Eddie...h-he..." She started__

 _"_ _ _Your husband looks up to me, yes, I know." Long cut her off. "You think I'm ignorant to that? You are not of the Yakuza world, Masane, so I will not waste time explaining. But rest assured, I adore Eddie like the son I wanted Waiban to be. My son is many things; intelligent, devoted to goals and able to see the big picture...but lacking resolve and strength. Eddie is all those things and more...but lacking ambition. I would've offered him everything I own at one time, you know? And Waiban and so many others? They would've happily followed him to the gates of Hell and back."__

 _ _He then turned his back to her.__

 _"_ _ _But there are forces out there. Forces that defy what we understand and only a select few have a hope of standing up to. Eddie's father was one of those forces, and yes, I admit, I did indeed keep track of him in hopes of finding something akin to his power. But even HE, the great Jackie Estacado, fell to time and death; even his empire collapsed. My only goal, since I joined the Yakuza as a child, was to ensure that the organization I was a part of didn't fall on my watch. Eddie has ensured that for the longest time as a mortal, and looks like he can do even greater as a being like you and your Witchblade."__

 _ _Masane tensed and reached to cover the aforementioned object.__

 _"_ _ _Oh yes, I know about it. No interest, rest assured. But, to answer your question; if I am confronted by a force even greater or equal to the Darkness? My foremost priority will always the Yakuza itself; Eddie will be a pawn I will gladly sacrifice for the future of my empire. You and Riko as well."__

 _ _For a full three minutes, not a word was uttered. The fire cotinued to crackle.__

 _ _Masane then took a deep breath and bowed respectfully.__

 _"_ _ _Thank you for your time and words, Long." She said. "I think it's about time for my family and I to be departing."__

 _ _Long nodded in understanding, sitting back into his chair.__

 _"_ _ _You realize you may have just made a powerful enemy, woman."__

 _ _Masane had simply turned and, her confidence returning, pointed out:__

 _"_ _ _And you realize that most of my husband's social and professional circle loves him more than they respect and fear you, right old man?"__

 _ _With a smirk, she walked out of the room and reminded Eddie of Riko's bed time. From his chair, Long simply smirked.__

 _"_ _ _What a fascinating woman."__

 ** **Present time****

Finally stepping into the room and missing his wife's announcement of going straight to the shower, Eddie's mind had flashed back to another important day that he had been reminded of that night.

 ** **2 years after the Great Quake****

 _ _The Yakuza heads has all gathered under one roof; in San Francisco no less. It was a general meeting, but he'd probably never have a better chance to reintegrate himself than now.__

 _ _Masane and Riko were staying at a nice hotel while he was out on 'an evening errand.' Jim had stayed behind to keep an eye on them, the smile he had shot Eddie telling the young man 'you're whipped'__

 _ _A quip that the man could no longer deny. Not that he was in the mindset to do so at the moment; making sure all knew he was still alive. That he had accomplished his mission...and in the 2 year absence, there had been minimal changes.__

 _ _Sadly, his gang was not there, but it was not his biggest priority. He stormed into the room after knocking out the guards.__

 _"_ _ _Ohayo, Okashiras." Eddie had bowed, ending all the conversations.__

 _ _Long, tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, embraced the young man who had become one of his most prized subordinates.__

 _"_ _ _Eddie..." He smiled. "It has been too long."__

 _ _Eddie weakly returned the hug before shifting to the other Heads.__

 _"_ _ _Apologies for taking so long to return, milords." He announced. "There were...complications. Regardless, I have continued to working in our interests and wishes to the best of my knowledge."__

 _"_ _ _Yes, the chief of police in Tokyo kept us up to date." A snooty looking man waved. "We'll deposit your overdue fees shortly, and now that you're here we have..."__

 _"_ _ _Um, actually...? I-I'd like to request if I could go part-time." Eddie requested.__

 _ _The air went so silent a pin being dropped could be heard and the atmosphere could be cut with a knife.__

 _"_ _ _I love this organization and will do all in my power to make it grow, Okashiras." Eddie assured them. "I have come far in my time and will continue to spread our vision. But these two years have made me realize my own mortality; opened my eyes to the need to prepare the next generation..."__

 _"_ _ _You've met someone." A fat and elderly head grumbled, his anger soon matched by many of the others.__

 _"_ _ _...There is a woman, yes." Eddie confessed, looking down at his feet and realizing too late what he had done.__

 _ _This single act alone had given his detractors all the reason they needed to deny him this. A famed assassin and go-for he always had been, but he had always been stoic and professional. Now he seemed like a smitten schoolboy. Not what the Yakuza needed in their employ.__

 _"_ _ _She is no outsider." Eddie tried to assure them, digging himself deeper. "And she is the mother of my first born."__

 _ _A semi-white lie.__

 _"_ _ _I see no reason not to grant this request." Long mentioned at the others. "Eddie has always served us well and has made it clear he will continue to do so. Besides, this is merely lowering his availability slightly, not outright leaving."__

 _ _But the others were not convinced.__

 _ _Eddie then fell to his knees and palms, his forehead greeting the floor.__

 _"_ _ _Name it, and it shall be done!"__

 _"_ _ _There is a meeting of our greatest problem-makers and pot-stirrers happening somewhere in this city...the hotel right next to our own, in fact." The fattest old man started. "Eliminate them all by midnight tonight without being identified or even getting suspicion being sent our way? And your request will be granted. Hell, we'll even pay for the wedding of you and this woman."__

 _ _Their sickeningly cruel laughter confirmed what this truly was: A seemingly impossible task in exchange for a humble request. Attacks like this required planning, knowledge gathering, a whole team. On top of it all? He had only two hours to do it.__

 _ _And yet? Eddie accepted__

 _ _The second he stepped out of the room, Eddie closed his eyes and focused into his mind.__

 _ _Over the past two years, whenever he had slept or dared to imagine the black of night that used to calm him so, he had felt something else. A presence, more foul and threatening than any yakuza or pervert he had ever had the misfortune of crossing, yet also just as inviting as one of his late mother's hugs, Masane's kisses or Riko's smiles.__

 _ _Eddie had avoided making any attempt to find out just what it was, but desperate times called for desperate measures: The young man had not felt this happy since childhood, he would be damned if he let some stubborn old men keep him from the woman he loved and the toddler he adored just because he finally asked for a little request.__

 _ _If this...thing...was half as powerful as he seemed to get the idea it was, it wouldn't be too much to assume it could be of aid.__

 _"_ _ _Can I do it?"__

 _ _Though faceless, he could swear the presence seemed to smirk__

 _"_ _ _If I let you help me, can I do it?" Eddie reworded his question.__

 _ **"**_ _ ** _ **MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO?"**_**_

 _ _Eddie's answer had been an unhesitating:__

 _"_ _ _Anything and everything."__

 _ _The seemingly arrogant confidence of the presence soared, and fear filled Eddie for the first time since his mother's passing.__

 _ **"**_ _ ** _ **I THINK YOU AND I ARE GOING TO GET ALONG JUST FINE...SUCKER."**_**_

 _ _The worst pain of his life had filled Eddie, but this was soon forgotten when he realized how powerful he felt.__

 _ _An evil smile crossed his face as he vanished from sight, his targets being the sole thing on his mind.__

 _ _A half hour later, Eddie returned to the room, tossing a gym bag onto the table without care and motioning for someone to open it.__

 _ _Aside from Long, the heads all either lost their meals or blanched in awe or fear. Not the least concerned, Eddie took notice of a beautiful sheathed katana on the table and began to inspect it.__

 _"_ _ _The heads of all who could cause us trouble. That didn't even take me an hour." He told them, unsheathing the blade. "Dare I show you what I can do in a whole night with proper motivation?"__

 _ _With that, his part-time was assured...especially when Long ordered him to kill the other heads.__

 ** **Present day****

Shaking his head out of those memories, Eddie gently pushed some of Riko's hair out of her face before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well, sweetheart."

He then made his way to the fridge and poured himself a drink of milk. Letting out a relived sigh, he then tensed when he felt a familiar pair of arms and two round mounds on his back.

"Masane?" He asked. "Everything okay?"

He could feel his wife's smile as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulders.

"Yeah baby. Everything's fine. In fact, after such a lovely evening, I've decided that what you've been going through hasn't been properly...compensated? Does that work?"

Eddie's eyes widened. Was she saying...?

A kiss in his ear made him begin to shake in anticipation.

' _I swear to any and every damn deity up there, if this more of her teasing...!'_

"Doing all of Long's work? Keeping us in a nice apartment?"

He would've argued the room was basic before he felt her undoing his shirt buttons and one hand sneaking underneath, rubbing his stomach affectionately.

"Beating the crap out of Shiori for me? All that...and just one night with me since you came here?" Masane asked cutely. "Doesn't seem right, does it?"

Eddie's eyes were widening as the part that made him a man became obvious...as did what his wife was getting at.

"You mean...?"

Masane nodded before whispering:

"Yep. Your punishment has been ended early, big boy. Now...what are you going to do about it?"

With a giddy smile on his face, Eddie took Masane into his arms and raced into the bathroom, silencing her delighted squeal with his lips as he undid the knot of her yukata, throwing it onto the floor as he closed the door.

"Someone's excited, eh?" Masane noted with a smirk, only to hear a rip or two as more of her clothes joined the Yukata. "Eddie! Those were...!"

She was silenced by another kiss and her back against the shower wall.

"You...have been teasing me relentlessly for these last couple of days." Eddie whispered hungrily and with hints of lustful anger into her ear as he decorated her neck with kisses. "Get ready for a sore chest and not being able to walk tomorrow."

Masane simply smirked as she ripped his pants off, moving down to reach a certain part of him, only to find her face brought up to her husband's.

"Nuh uh uh!" Eddie waved his index finger as his free hand turned the water on."Not this time, Massy."

She pouted.

"Hey, you made me suffer. This is payback." Eddie retorted.

His confidence vanished when his wife, a toothy smirk on her face, grabbed hold of his package and stroked it.

"Still payback?" She teased.

Eddie growled.

As hot water cascaded onto their forms, the couple let their hands wonder in between sloppy, desperate and passionate kisses. Steam blurred the shower, hand and footprints being pressed into them.

And then came the moment

Masane held in her screams and moans, instead running her fingers through Eddie's hair as she was pressed up and down the wall. Eddie buried his face and hands into her generous chest, kissing and massaging

All they said throughout this and when they made it to bed?

"I love you."

WBID

In the cemetery of New Tokyo stood a middle age man in a trench coat. 

He was glad that this was one of the few places that wasn't effected by the great because one of the inhabitants of this cemetary was someone very close to him. That person was the very person whose tombstone he was now facing towards. 

_Zenji Ikari_ _  
_ _Beloved father, husband, and brother._

The man chuckled nervously before speaking,

"H-hey bro. Um long time. I would've come to visit you sooner but my mind hasn't exactly working properly for awhile now. I really miss you man. I'd love to visit Julia and that nephew of mine but...I'm afraid that's probably not possible at the moment." 

The man silently stared at the tombstone for a few minutes before he fell to the ground bawling his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I know i shouldn't have done either of those things but i just couldn't take what happened and I wanted to leave something behind for your wife and kid. Then that quake happened and I got loose along with the others. Now the entire city is going to hell and I'm one of the causes. Whats worse is now that I've regained self awareness I'm aware the things I've been doing. If only you had still been alive back then you would've managed to talk me out of not only selling my body to be turned into a weapon but the suicide altogether. You always were very persuasive. I'm sure your wife and son miss you as much as i do." 

The man managed to pull himself together and get up. He took one last look at the grave and smiled warmly.

"I'll try to visit again when i get the chance. See ya bro." 

The man turned and left the cemetery.

WBiD

He hadn't been able to sleep.

Jim Ikari wondered the streets of New Tokyo, his mind a jumbled mess and only one bottle of sake in his system.

Seeing his best friend and his wife and daughter had been a blessing. He was delighted his niece (regardless of what Waiban said) had proved to be a natural at Duel Monsters and his dearly beloved mother was doing fine. His work with Wado was a bit of a pain, mostly due to the man's pitiful ego, but a job was a job.

He wasn't exactly hurting for money, but Jim did like to keep himself busy. And DOUJI did pay very well.

At the same time, being back home in Japan was not an entirely pleasant experience. The news covering of weird killings also put him a little on edge, which considering how (tooting his own horn a bit here) badass he was, was saying something.

He also didn't like seeing Long is such a powerful position; for all the 'good' the man had done for Eddie and the others, something about him had always unnerved Jim. A fact he shared with only Peter, who had shared his thoughts...

All in all, despite being near his best friend and mother again, the sooner his contract ended and he could go home, the happier he would be.

Jim was currently heading towards the cemetery to pay a visit someone who had meant a great deal to him. His father. 

When was the last time he had visited hi? He had pinpointed it to either a year or two. His mother visited frequently. 

As he was walking passed by the same man who was just leaving the cemetery. It took a look a few minutes for jim to recognize the man, but he did his eyes and quickly turned around to see the man had disappeared.

"Uncle Moroki!" He called out.

When nobody answered he shook it off as something he'd the time to look into later because the person he thought he just saw was someone who was also supposed to be dead. As he continued his walk to the cemertary the man quickly peeked from the alleyway he had hidden in after recognizing Jim as his nephew. 

"Jim." He said quietly to himself as he watched his nephew head to the cemetery to visit the same occupant he had just visited.

WBID

"You got a visitor." Marry announced to them on the phone early the next morning. "Get your butts down here now."

So much for sleeping in, the parents mused, although when they saw the visitors their mood did brighten slightly.

There was Hope and Peter with an older yet still beautiful woman

"UNCLE PETEY!" Riko beamed as she raced to her uncle, who was quick to lift her up and nuzzle her nose.

"H-hey there, Riko!" Peter beamed at the sight of his niece. "You been behaving yourself?"

Riko nodded happily

"Yo, Pete." Eddie waved as he worked out some cricks and teh noticed the others. "Hey Hope."

"Hey bro." Hope smiled before noticing Masane, and spying her slight limping. "Morning, Masane."

"Hey Hope." The witchblade user yawned. "What brings you guys all the way out here? And where's your friend?"

Hope and Peter suddenly became uncomfortable.

"Cyan's at a museum. As to why we're here, there's someone you need to meet. This is my mother, Sara." Hope introduced to the newcomer, just finishing her coffee adn tuning out Mr. Chou's flirting.

Sara got off her stool and gave Masane a look over...although she stopped at one spot.

"Damn, those are huge." Sara said aloud as she looked at Masane's ample bust.

"MOM!" Hope shouted in shock and disgust at her mother's blunt nature.

"What, like you didn't think it."

"There are kids here!" Eddie pointed to Riko, although inwardly he thought ' _Damn right they're huge. And I love them.'_

Sara tuned them out.

"So, you're my successor huh?"

Unconsciously and unknowingly, Masane moved to cover the Witchblade from the older woman's sight. Eddie alone noticed Sara had also glanced at Riko for a second, and he brought her closer to him.

Walking away from Masane, she took a deep look into Eddie's eyes.

"...Hope was right." She said, a slight smile crossing her face. "You do have his eyes...when he was actually happy."

She then looked down at Riko and an actual smile crossed her face.

"Hi there, Rihoko, was it?" She asked, reaching out her hand to shake the little girl's. "I'm Sara. Guess you might say...I'm kind of like your half-grandma?"

From behind her father's leg, Riko peeked

"Grandma?"

Sara nodded in spite of herself, and was shocked by the hug from the little girl, which she did return with a smile.

"Reminds me of you, Hope." Sara smiled before turning to Masane. She put Riko down, and motioned for the younger woman to follow her. "Walk with me. None of you follow us. This is a family thing."

For some reason, not even Eddie dared to defy her. All he could do was pray for the best.

WBID

"Show me what you can do." Sara ordered once they stopped walking 10 minutes later, on an empty beach. "I want to see how far along you are."

Masane, still not fully awake and sore from love-making, and noticing how oddly the Witchblade was acting, was taken off guard by Sara's demand.

"Um, you sure about this?"

"Without. The Witchblade." the older woman clarified as she tossed off her jacket. "Make it easier for you."

The object in question, while pulsating, wouldn't allow Masane to transform

Sara suddenly was up in Masane's face, and the younger woman was sent to the floor by a haymaker. Masane narrowly dodged a kick and raced back to her feet, only to realize that Sara was behind her.

"I'm losing my patience, Busty!"

An elbow to the back almost made Masane lose her balance again, but she managed to kcik Sara back. She would've smirked, if she didn't see the older woman stand her ground and look not even slightly winded.

"What? You thought just because I'm old I've lost my touch?" Sara asked, a very Witchblade-like smirk on her face. "I had that thing on your wrist far longer and more times that you, girl. Takes more than a kick to knock me down."

Masane's fears were now confirmed, and although she failed to notice, she slipped into a combat stance.

"Good." Sara smiled. "I do prefer my students to have a bit of training."

Masane relaxed ever so slightly.

"DOUJI's not training you very well, are they?" Sara guessed. "And that hubby of yours may have one of it's creators stuck inside him and be a credible assassin, but they're all total novices when it comes to teaching anything about the Witchblade. I can't stand another hapless host, so, after much begging, I've decided I have to train you to use it."

Masane's worries subsided a little, buts he kept her stance up. A good thing too:

"But!" Sara said as she raced towards her successor. "Don't expect me to go easy!"

She threw a downwards punch Masane was quick to deflect and throw her other arm at the other woman, who was quick to dodge.

"Rely on the blade part of your transformation too much." Sara noted, racing behind Masane and fling sand into her eyes when she caught sight of her.

She then went for the zinger:

"If you can't even handle an old woman, how will you protect that little girl of yours?"

Masane changed at those words.. Her fear vanished and the world seemed to slow...just as Sara moved towards landing a two fist punch to her stomach.

Masane stopped the fists with one palm and threw a punch on Sara, finally landing a hit...and blinking in confusion when the older woman smiled.

"Not bad." Sara smirked, honestly impressed. "But you're a wee bit stiff."

She then slammed Masane onto the ground, her smirk turning to an almost motherly one.

"And there's discord in your mind. Where I to venture a guess, you're trying to wrap your head around the Witchblade and Darkness, on top of me and Hope showing up, all while looking after that baby girl of yours."

Masane said nothing as Sara got off the younger woman and dusted herself off.

"Really, not bad. You clearly do have combat training, but I'm guessing the Quake messed up your memory." Sara smiled sweetly, handing Masane a water bottle. "Not a bad thing at all."

Masane downed the water

"This coming from the grandma who kicked my ass." She pointed out.

"Hey, I was a cop and had THAT thing stuck to me for some of the better and worst parts of my life." Sara teased. "After you see what kind of freaks come after the Witchblade, you either keep yourself as strong as possible, or die. Seriously, the NSWF and Ex-Cons? I'd have killed to just have THOSE to deal with."

The younger woman rose an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"What? You WANT to fight the literal forces of heaven, hell, limbo and immortals who don't understand that 'no' means 'no?'" Sara asked in a deadpan tone. "On top of keeping the Blade a secret, trying to live a life, working as a cop and maybe having a family while being as hot as sin? Hey, be my guest."

Masane winced.

"Sorry I asked."

"Don't be." Sara smirked again, before chuckling. "Still; if I can do this to you as an old lady? Ha! I would've CRUSHED you in my prime! No offense."

Masane grumbled and took another sip of water.

"Oh don't be like that. I like you, Masane; driven, devoted...I can see why Eddie and Riko love you so much."

Sara's mood dampened.

"But, if I had known all this crap would be happening, I don't think I'd have sold the damn thing to DOUJI...no matter how desperate I was."

Masane choked on her water

"Y-YOU SOLD IT?!" She hollered. "TO DOUJI!?"

Sara calmly cleaned out her ear

"Deserved that." The older woman mused. "But, yeah. Finally got off the Blade off me for the...I'm going to say fourth time even though I KNOW that's not the right number... a few years ago. Before you ask, I'd already tried giving to someone else before and that didn't end well. And luckily for me, this time the damn thing actually went silent for longer than usual..."

Her mood then changed

"Just as Hope got into an accident."

Masane's eyes widened as the older woman's reasons for her actions suddenly became more understandable, even without the rest of the story.

"I was desperate; no longer had the power to save her on my own and Eddie was nowhere to be found. I had almost lost her a few times already...a few times too many. So, when a multi-billion dollar corporation with seemingly genuine GOOD intentions offers you a fortune for something that's been both a blessing and curse to you on top of offering to help protect the one genuine blessing in your life?"

It was Sara that downed her water bottle's content before looking down at her feet before burying her face into her hands.

"I want to say that if I'd been in a better state of mind I'd have done more research and denied, but I'd be lying. I wanted to be rid of the thing once and for all and save my daughter: Finally have a normal life after so long, see her get married and maybe even have grand-kids to spoil and make me forget everything I went through."

A gentle, reassuring hand placed itself on the older woman's shoulder. Looking up from her feet

"Sorry for playing the 'baby girl' card earlier." Sara said, suddenly downtrodden. "Just couldn't think of anything else that could a fire under your ass fast enough."

Masane chuckled lightly in spite of it all.

"Hey, we're moms." She noted. "Mess with our babies, we can do anything, right?"

"But I do have some legit bad news." Sara sighed, making Masane tense. "If that is the extent of your ability to use the Witchblade...? You're in trouble."

Masane looked down at the Witchblade, and a deep, unyielding hatred filled her being. Not just at the idea she wasn't as up to par as she;d hoped, but that maybe Lady truly had been the one who had 'earned' the Witchblade

And Eddie had already pulled more than enough of his weight, in her opinon.

"Come on, let's go some breakfast." Sara smiled. "My treat, since you're still the newbie in all this."

"What was Eddie's father like?"

Sara paused mid-stride. Her whole form tensed and turned unreadable.

"...He..."

WBID

Outside, a slew of cars gathered around Marry's, each housing hooded individuals armed to the death.

"Let's make this work, people." The commander announced. "This is our last and best chance for a long time."

His men saluted...save for one; the only one not in armour:

A sickly man in a trench coat and in needing what appeared to be a very strange walking stick; as tall as him and seemingly pulsating with dark energy.

"The Darkness will be ours."

 ** **To be continued...****

 ** **Props to GemKing for their addition to the drama of Jim's subplot**** ** **. Hopefully, the next chapter will reveal what Sara told Masane**** ** **and we return to action packed, over the top violence.****

 ** **And hey, at least the fic now lives up to the M-rating, huh? Thoughts on the lemon?****

 ** **Next chapter, we start the first original story arc of the story. Here's a hint that should make it clear to all; the Darkness 2 video-game.****

 ** **I know that I promised an Omake: The First date, but while having ideas, the words just are not coming. I apologize and will try and make up for it next time. Or, if one wants, PM and feel free to write it with my full permission and blessing.****

 ** **Read and Review and be safe, would ye kindly?****


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